Northern Constellations
by chandrila
Summary: Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they discover the wonders and woes of young parenthood.
1. Chapter 1

_**Northern Constellations**_

 **Summary:** Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they discover the wonders and woes of young parenthood. Joshaya. Post-S3.

 **Author's Note:** NC is back and better than ever.

* * *

 **Prologue**

If you were to ask Maya Hart about what happened on the night of January seventh, she wouldn't even know where to begin. In between failed attempts at submitting an overdue assignment for world history and procrastinating beneath the stars, her sanity was put to the test. Maya had been absolutely certain that a life without her best friend wouldn't be a life worth living. It was sad—tragic even—to think about how the walls that they had built together could come crashing down at any given moment.

Maya's first instinct had been to console her best friend, but she soon came to realize that Riley wasn't the only one seeking comfort. Her second instinct had been to call Josh. He understood and did so much more than sympathize with her. At first, it had all been so innocent. They talked until the sun fell, laughed until they cried, and it felt too amazing to be true.

As their night progressed, seconds became minutes and minutes turned into hours. They lost track of time as they lost themselves in conversation. Josh couldn't help but remark that it was an awful coincidence. By the time they decided to part ways, it was already well past midnight. The constellations were out but barely visible in the city that never sleeps.

After an internal debate, Maya decided to offer her room for the night under one condition: her parents couldn't know. Sure, Shawn and Katy respected her freedom but allowing an overnight guest of the opposite sex would be pushing it. Though her offer had been tempting, Josh politely declined. At eighteen, he considered himself to be a respectable young adult. So he concluded that staying the night wouldn't reflect very well on his character. Maya was, after all, barely sixteen.

Nearly three years stood in between them, occupying the space devoid of their affections. It was taunting and cruel, a reminder of what they couldn't have, at least for the time being. Truth be told, three years wasn't much of a difference. In the real world, hardly anyone would bat an eye, let alone notice. But in his eyes, it was morally wrong. Both parties were stuck in different stages of life, maturing on their own time. The last thing he wanted on his conscious would be the guilt of tainting her innocence. It was bad enough that the chemistry between them was as startling and fizzy as a sprinkle of pop rocks dancing across his tongue.

Unfortunately for Josh, Maya felt it too. She wanted him—she wanted whatever he had to offer—whether it be his shoulder to cry on or a lengthy discussion about the birth of grunge. She didn't care. She just didn't want the night to end. It was perfectly imperfect, an oxymoron love affair, if she could even refer to it as such.

Slowly but surely, everything seemed to fall into place as their lips met for the very first time. It wasn't the best kiss, but the fervor between the two seemed to ignite wildfires.

He stayed—and after Topanga made her final decision the following evening, their moment and all of its impending consequences had been left untouched by reality.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Maya had been in the middle of a lecture when she felt her stomach churn. She shot up, completely disregarding yet another socratic seminar, and fled the room in fear of blowing chunks in front of her peers. She was sick—it wasn't _that_ much of a secret—but she tried her very best to keep all of the gross details hidden behind closed bathroom stalls. She had grown accustomed to the nausea she faced throughout the day. She emptied her stomach like clockwork. That was quite possibly what she feared the most.

Without hesitation, the blonde beauty made a mad dash for the door and in a matter of moments, she found herself hunched over one of the only clean porcelain seats within a mile's radius. She had spent the past four weeks in the same position: face first into a toilet or waste bin, mindlessly emptying her stomach of excess bile, foul-tasting meals or nothing at all. When she finally felt relieved, she backed away from the toilet, her bare knees rubbing against the filthy tiling below. She wanted to leave, but she couldn't bring herself to stand up. Not yet, anyways.

She reached for her cellphone, but before she could retrieve it from her back pocket, the restroom door opened and closed with an echoing thud. Maya sighed, hoping that whoever it was could endure the putrid scent of vomit and ammonia that overwhelmed the lavatory. Maya was nose-blind to her own stench, but she was certain that it wasn't pleasant.

"Peaches?" Riley called, her soft voice radiating off of the walls. Maya thanked the heavens that their teacher understood that they were a package deal. "Peaches, I know you're in here. Where'd you go?"

"Fourth stall on the left," Maya answered hesitantly, sounding much weaker than she had intended. Her throat felt dry and she was in dire need of something to quench her thirst, and even though she hadn't been able to keep down any real food in days, she suddenly felt a bit famished.

As soon as her best friend turned the corner, Maya reached an arm across the seat to flush the toilet of its rancid contents. She let herself rest there for a moment, her body draped over the seat as if it were a pillow. Riley entered the small cubicle shortly after, her mouth gaping at the sight of the sickly blonde. It was so gross, but she knew that it couldn't be helped.

Impulsively, the brunette dropped to her knees to assist her honorary sister. With both of her hands, Riley gathered her best friend's unruly hair to secure at the back of her head in a simple knot, her heart nearly breaking in the process. Maya was typically so headstrong, stubborn and independent. Seeing her so helpless felt like a punch to the gut. They had been through so much this year, and it was only March.

"I've come bearing gifts," Riley chirped, attempting to lighten the mood. She placed a comforting hand on her best friend's back and reached into her purse with the other. "I bought you a bottle of water from the vending machine on the way here. I know you'd rather have juice, sorry, but I only had seventy-five cents."

Maya sat up straight, taking a mental note to bring extra change in the morning. She looked at Riley as if she were an angel sent from above and forced her mouth to curve upward into a smile. Consequently, Riley didn't stop there. "And because you have the _best_ best friends in the whole entire world, I also brought Lucas' jacket, a protein bar from Zay, Smackle's emergency midol and an unwrapped stick of gum."

"Thank you," Maya mouthed, her eyes lighting up as she heard the word gum slip from her best friend's lips. Without warning, she snatched the little stick of cinnamon glory from Riley's hand, earning a faint laugh from the quirky brunette. She popped it in her mouth and began to chew. "I love you. I love you so much, Riles."

"I love you more," Riley replied, momentarily flashing a smile, both toothy and adorable. Riley was Maya's personal ray of sunshine. She could brighten anyone's day in record time. "Now lets get you all cleaned up before the girls start piling in."

At Abigail Adams, Mondays weren't just Mondays. They were break-up Mondays. Riley and Maya had always served as witnesses to the atrocities that took place behind these very walls. They paid close attention to all of the weeping girls as if they were engaged in an episode of The Red Planet Diaries. It was interesting, needless to say, but with so much estrogen running rampant, the blonde wanted out.

"Oh no," Maya groaned, nearly swallowing her gum in the process. The flavor was already beginning to fade and she scolded herself for not coming prepared. "You gotta get me out of here."

As if it were on cue, the two girls stood up and began to straighten themselves out. As soon as they exited the stuffy stall, Maya slipped on Lucas' jacket with ease, zipping it from the base to its collar. Riley watched from a distance, setting the rest of her creature comforts on the vacant counter top by the sinks.

"I feel like a hot mess," Maya complained, turning on one of the faucets to wash her hands and rinse her mouth with warm water, disposing of her gum for good. The tap water from the sink had a faintly metallic aftertaste, but she didn't mind. Something was better than nothing. When she finished, she leaned into her reflection in the mirror, immediately disgusted. "I even look like a hot mess."

"It's not like that matters," Riley advised, gripping onto Maya's shoulders. She looked up at the mirror, taking note of the obvious differences between the two. Maya was her perfect contrast; blonde, bold, blue eyed and beautiful. Even after puking her guts out in a public restroom, she still looked ruggedly gorgeous. "You're still the most beautiful girl I know, puke breath and all."

"You know what?" Maya asked herself, examining her hair. She fidgeted with her bun, and for the very first time in over an hour, she laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment. You have anything to fix this funk?"

"Well," Riley trailed off, digging around for the travel sized bottle of Pretty as a Peach fragrance mist that she kept at the bottom of her bag. "With a little spritz here and a little spritz there, you'll be back to normal in no time, Peaches."

"You're such a dork," Maya shook her head, playfully rolling her eyes at her best friend's theatrics.

"I'm your dork," Riley corrected, uncapping the tiny bottle. After spraying a little too much fragrance mist, she held it as if it were a gun and blew the top. "Hey Maya, I sent Uncle Shawn a text when you ran out of class. He should be on his way to pick you up soon. I hope that's okay."

"It's fine," Maya nodded, wrapping her hands around the water bottle Riley purchased on her way to the restroom. Her hands fumbled with the cap, and as soon as she twisted it off, she took a long awaited swing. "I was going to call home anyways. I mean, look at me."

There had been a time in her life when hearing the word dad brought forth unresolved daddy issues, but times were a-changing. Two years ago, she made a birthday wish and it came true. Shawn Hunter accepted her as if she were his own flesh and blood. That was more than Kermit had ever done in over a decade.

"Oh, he just said that he's on his way," Riley added, looking down at her phone to read her most recent notification. "I know that you're tired of hearing this, but this has gone on for way too long, Maya. I know that you hate going to the doctors, I get it, I really do...but you are sick. That's your reality. I don't think I can pretend that you're okay anymore."

"Especially when I'm not?" Maya whined, her bottom lip protruding into a pout. Riley Matthew loved Maya Hart. Her concern, albeit annoying at times, was greatly appreciated. "If you cry, I cry. That's how our friendship works, remember? I know that I'm sick, but I can promise you that I'm fine. If it makes you feel any better, I'll think about it. Just know that if I go anywhere near a needle, I'm doing it for you."

"Yay!" Riley exclaimed, smiling as if she had won the entire argument with the bat of an eyelash. Her sudden transition from sad to happy seemed a bit questionable, but Maya refused to dwell on it. "Keep that in mind when Uncle Shawn picks you up. There's a pretty good chance I may have persuaded him to make some calls."

"You're so evil," Maya remarked, stifling a laugh. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't. After all, Riley's intentions were pure. "I wonder where you get that from. You know, you should probably get back to class before your dad thinks you skipped again."

"Alright," Riley said, raising her hands in defense. She liked to consider herself a mighty fine student. Unlike some of her classmates, she looked forward to attending class everyday to learn something new. According to her transcripts, she ranked number six out of her entire graduating class. "I so don't skip. I mean, maybe once or twice but only because of you. You're the wild woman. Not me. I'm not in this."

The transitional period between leaving John Quincy and falling into routine at Abigail Adams had been rough. Within their first two weeks of high school, their friendships, relationships and reputations had been put to the test. Needless to say, it had been one hell of a ride. Discovering their true permanent records, however, had been worth the hassle. They would all do it again in a heartbeat.

"Keep telling yourself that, honey," Maya teased, noticeably pleased that the tension between them had subsided. "I'm serious though. You should really get your little butt back to class. Between the two of us, someone has to take notes. By someone, I mean you."

"My dad is our teacher, Maya," Riley pointed out as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. Going to second period with all of her friends was the highlight of Riley's day, but it surely wasn't the same without her other half. "I have all of the notes copied two days in advance."

"Does it matter?" Maya countered, channeling the maternal instincts she never knew she had. She wanted her best friend by her side, of course, but class was just as important. Not to mention the fact that she didn't want to hear about it from Mr. Matthews later on.

"You look like my best friend," Riley said skeptically, placing a hand to her chest to emphasize her shock. She inhaled deeply. "You definitely smell like my best friend. But you don't sound like her. God, Maya, you sound like you could be my actual aunt."

"Aunt Maya?" Maya smirked, testing the waters. She sought amusement in her best friend's discomfort and often used it to her advantage. She let out a breathy laugh as she watched the brunette cringe. "I really like the sound of that. Don't you?"

"I plead the fifth."

"Riley."

"Alright, fine," Riley sighed in defeat, her tone childlike. "To tell you the truth, I love it. Maya Matthews? I mean, how cool is that?"

"Someday," Maya mused, repeating the very word they adopted as their personal mantra. "We're not quite there yet. I don't know if we everwill be. But give me ten years, we'll see."

"Ten years it is," Riley agreed, instantly reminded of one of their iconic bay window moments. In ten years, the girls would be twenty-five and twenty-six, mature and hopefully thriving. Ten years seemed to be a sufficient amount of time for their someday to resurface if it was truly meant to be. "Now that you're somewhat presentable, do you wanna head back to class with me?"

Maya shook her head. If she were to return now, after everything, she would be risking her another awkward confrontation with her teacher. Maya had been around their family long enough to be considered an honorary member. She was even treated as such. So Cory Matthews made it a point to give her as much of a hard time as he would give his own daughter. Maya didn't mind, of course. It meant the world to know that her extended family cared.

"I think I'll just wait outside in the hallway for a little while," Maya answered, taking a moment to choose her words carefully. "You know, just in case my throne calls to me...again."

"Just thinking about you getting sick makes me feel sick," Riley remarked, moving a strand of hair behind her ear. "Maya?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"Do you want me to pull your stuff from class?" Riley asked, watching as the blonde gathered the rest of her supplies from the sink before turning on her heels in the direction of the entrance. "I can do that...or I can just swing by later to drop off work. We can hang out if you're feeling better."

"I think I have everything I need," Maya said, referring to her cellphone and clutch wallet. "But if it isn't too much to ask for, it would be great if you could hand me my bag."

Awaiting a response, Maya unwrapped her protein bar and marveled in its beauty. She didn't particularly like dark chocolate or almonds, but it seemed to satisfy her stomach with the first bite. Before scarfing the entire bar down her throat, she broke it in half and handed the smaller piece to her best friend. Riley readily accepted it and the two girls made their way out the door.

"I'm on it."

"Thank you, Riley. Thank you for everything. I honestly don't think I say that enough, but I mean it. I wouldn't be here without you."

"Oh, you don't have to thank me, Peaches," Riley said in between bites. "I'll be there whenever you need me, wherever that may be. I know that you'd do the same for me."

"Because we're the best best friends the world has ever seen?" Maya teased, nudging the taller girl with her shoulder.

"No, because we're sisters."

* * *

Maya spent the next fifteen minutes alone, her eyes glued to the brightened screen of her smartphone as she browsed though an endless archive of Red Planet Diaries fanfiction. In between classes, the decorated halls of Abigail Adams seemed to be quiet and lifeless. For once, Maya felt at peace.

Shawn arrived shortly after. He had been drifting in-and-out of consciousness when he received his niece's message, but as soon as he realized it was an emergency, he shot out of bed. This was becoming a common trend in their household, and he was too mortified to address the issue. Maya left home feeling well and returning looking the complete opposite. It wasn't normal. When his best friend's daughter urged him to pull some strings, he jumped at the opportunity to scheduling an appointment.

"Morning, kid," Shawn greeted, finally coming across his adoptive daughter in the hallway. Maya sat with her knees pressed to her chest in the little bay window by the wall of lockers, intently reading one of her favorite alternate endings for the Red Planet Diaries finale. "Are you feeling any better?"

Once she heard Shawn speak, she locked her phone and slid it into the front pocket of her borrowed coat. It was a quarter past ten and his voice sounded like music to her ears. Every minute she spent waiting felt like an hour as she tried to ignore her internal churning.

"I feel better than I did an hour ago," Maya answered, inhaling a deep breath. She was feeling a lot better, but she knew that she couldn't sugar coat her situation. It was impossible to bend the truth in front of Shawn. He could read Clutterbucket women like an open book. "That doesn't say much though."

"I figured," Shawn shrugged, bending over to pick up her bag. The bag was all black, practical yet stylish. It wasn't very heavy, but carrying it seemed like the gentleman thing to do. "You know, I would've let you stay home this morning. You should've told me you weren't feeling well again."

Maya wasn't quite used to having a parent on standby twenty-four seven, but it made her heart swell. Shawn didn't have to work nine-to-five shifts on weekdays and pull grueling doubles to help make ends meet. Instead, he spent most of his time at home. He worked his own hours for Hit The Road and decided to stay local until his wife returned home from filming. Shawn and Maya had been on their own for weeks. They got along well, but they were still testing the waters.

"Thanks for picking me up," Maya said. Her words were forced, but she meant them with a heavy heart. He had already done so much for her by staying behind. He didn't have to be this kind. "If you were busy, you could've called the office to release me early. I always have my metro card on me."

"Busy?" Shawn chuckled at her ridiculous claim. "I'm a photographer, Maya...and I promised your mother that I would look after you. So guess what? You're stuck with me, kid. You and your pretty little mama are all I've got."

"Oh yeah, very fatherly," Maya complimented, attempting to brighten the atmosphere with a joke. "You're a natural. It's kind of like you were born for the job. So, dad, Riley mentioned something about an appointment. You didn't actually schedule an appointment, right?"

Maya would never admit to it, but she feared hospitals and urgent care centers with every fiber in her being. In her eyes, hospitals were designated areas where people took their first and last breaths. Mortality was a scary thought, but she wasn't afraid of dying. The repercussions of death were what kept her up at night. When Maya was eight, she came down with a terrible case of strep throat. After watching her baby suffer for three whole weeks, Katy decided that enough was enough and made an appointment at their local care center. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of their misadventures in health care. It was just the beginning. They spent nearly four hours waiting around in a stuffy little lobby, Maya's shot records weren't updated, and when she was finally seen, it was revealed that their health care provider would not cover any of the expenses. The icing on top of the cake, however, had been Maya's brief encounter with death via penicillin allergy.

"Come on," Shawn encouraged, motioning for her to stand up with his free hand. He was wearing layers underneath his leather jacket and the heaters were blasting. He wanted to get out of Abigail Adams as soon as possible. Maya stood up and stretched, the scent of peach still radiating off of her clothes. "I'm pretty sure you'll be fine. I called Jen before I left the apartment, and she booked you an appointment with her personal physician—a woman, I think—that's all I know. She said that you would be more comfortable with a female doctor."

Maya didn't really have a preference. As long as they got the job done, she didn't care what gender they were. She was surprised by the fact that Jen—whoever she was—would care enough to make a suggestion.

"Jen?" Maya repeated, growing uncomfortable at the thought of her own implications. It wasn't any of her business, but she wondered if her mother had ever heard of a woman named Jen. Katy trusted Shawn enough to leave him with her most prized possession, so she was in no position to question his loyalty.

"Bassett," Shawn assured. "You probably know her as Jennifer, the monster or maybe even Mrs. Minkus."

Maya silently reprimanded herself for jumping to conclusions, but she couldn't help it. When Kermit left, Katy took on the role of both a mother and a father. Maya was constantly reminded of her absentee parent every time she looked into the mirror. She saw a little girl in place of her current self: a little girl who just wasn't good enough for her daddy to stay. Shawn was more of a father to her than Kermit ever was and the thought of him leaving made her want to retreat into a shell of nothingness.

"Mrs. Minkus," Maya sighed, disappointed in herself for letting her insecurities take over. Only a handful of her closest friends and family were considered to be lucky enough to see this side of her. Her emotions were raw and very real. She was a teenage girl, after all. "Of course. I knew that."

"Sure you did," Shawn teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he unlocked the doors of his Nissan Xterra with the press of a button. The two piled into the vehicle shortly after. "Do you remember when we all went out to dinner before your mom left? Well, Stuart and Jen offered to help out in any way they can. As much as it pains me to say this...we need their help right about now."

"Oh yeah," Maya huffed, recalling a memory that had long been forgotten. The week following Topanga's big reveal had been a blur. She connected with the object of her affection in more ways than one, her mother scored a first class ticket to fly across the country and she had been pressured into going on a handful of triple dates all in the course of seven days. "Wasn't that the night we went to that greasy sandwich place on Waverly Place?"

"Alright, the Waverly Sub Station isn't greasy. I liked it. It was almost as good as this burger joint I went to as a kid: Chubbie's Famous," Shawn sighed, thinking back on all of the good times he had there as a kid. He missed being young and reckless, but maturing had it's perks. "Nothing beats Chubbie's, but the food at the Sub Station? It's pretty damn good."

"I think the highlight of my night would be the look on Mrs. Minkus' face when our orders came," Maya shook her head, making a tsk sound with her mouth. "I like her and all, but uptown girls are ridiculous."

"Uptown?" Shawn laughed, reversing out of the tight parking space. "Yeah, right. Don't let all of the diamonds and pearls fool you. She's changed, I'll give her that. Just hear me out when I say this: you can take the girl out of Philly, but you can't take Philly out of the girl."

He had been shocked to learn that the Stuart Minkus made a wife out of his former girlfriend. However, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were happy. They made a life for themselves—that's all that mattered.

"Wait," Maya said, preventing him from continuing his rant about change. Her curiosity was getting to the best of her, she just had to ask. "You knew both of Farkle's parents when you lived in Philly?"

"Unfortunately," Shawn chuckled to himself, reminiscing a failed romance and a peculiar friendship. "We weren't exactly friends then, but we're friends now. Fun fact, I actually went out with Jen a couple of times as a kid. And, Minkus? He was just a pain in the ass."

"You went out with Mrs. Minkus?" Maya asked in disbelief. Jennifer and Shawn were on entirely different levels of the same food chain. She could see him with someone like Angela. But, Farkle's mom? No way. "That's so... weird."

"Well," Shawn snorted, easing into the main road. The traffic wasn't too bad around this time, but he knew that being on the road during lunchtime would be like taking a dip in Dante's Inferno. "It wasn't a serious relationship, Maya. Maybe you should ask Cory about this one. It was his problem too."

Maya rolled her eyes, imagining her best friend's mother saying what seemed to be her Christmas catchphrase: all my life. She heard the stories. Cory wasn't Cory without Shawn and Shawn wasn't Shawn without Cory.

"Your appointment starts around twelve," Shawn pointed out to interrupt their moment of silence. "That gives you enough time to get showered up at home. We can even stop by that coffee shop you like—well, we like. I know just how much you love your fancy iced coffees. Hey, maybe that's why you stopped growing."

"It's like you can read my mind," Maya groaned, ignoring his remark about her height and petite figure. If it were anyone else, she would've went off. She understood Shawn's jokes; they were practically her own. "What are we waiting for, daddy dearest? There's an iced caramel macchiato calling my name and a double-shot calling yours."

* * *

Nearly two hours later, both Maya and Shawn gathered enough courage to set foot into the clinic. The designated waiting area was plain, nonetheless, with white walls and beige couches. Abstract canvases were sprawled out across the room and Maya couldn't help but comment on how tacky they were. Whoever designed the lobby paid more attention to technicality than creativity. As an artist, Maya considered that to be a red flag.

While Shawn filled out the required paperwork made especially for a parent or guardian with a power of attorney, Maya searched through her phone once more. Satisfied with her discovery, she sank back into her seat to begin binge reading. Riley was a sucker for stories about Ashley the Astronaut and Blarg's other head as parents. So Maya decided to check it out for herself. She hoped that it wouldn't be just another cliche.

Sometime later, one of the receptionists called her name from the huge circulation desk, and Maya huffed: "I guess that's me."

Before she left the main lobby, she placed her purse in her adoptive father's open lap and gave her self a much needed pep talk. She knew deep down that there was nothing to worry about, but she couldn't separate Riley's concerns from her conscience. What if, just as Riley feared, she wasn't okay at all? All of the what if's made her feel queasy inside.

As Maya followed one of the physicians assistants into a vacant observation room, she felt breathless. She wanted to go home. She wanted Riley. She wanted her mom. Before she could make a run for it, a knock at the door tore Maya away from her train of thought.

"Good afternoon, Maya," the woman clothed in white greeted, clutching a plastic clipboard to her chest. She walked into the room with so much confidence, Maya swore that she was blinded by her light. "May I come in?"

Maya nodded and the twenty-something bombshell moved closer and closer until she stood about two feet away from the hard observation table. The occasional click of her heels filled the room with every step she took. If this was the infamous Alina Mack, Maya was bewitched. She was a gorgeous woman, simple yet elegant. Her mixture of exotic features seemed questionably familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint their origins.

"It's nice to finally meet you," the young doctor beamed, extending her arm outward for a handshake. Maya reciprocated the gesture and studied the woman's face. "I'm Dr. Mack, but I wouldn't mind if you called me Alina. I've heard so much about you."

"Oh really?" Maya asked, raising an eyebrow at her remark. After a moment of contemplation, she concluded that Mrs. Minkus probably mentioned a thing or two when she scheduled the appointment earlier today. "Well, it's nice to meet you too, Dr. Mack. I didn't expect you to be so young."

"Oh, please," Dr. Mack laughed. "I'm not that young. You're the same age as Isadora, so it's safe to say that I'm at least ten years older than you. I actually miss being sixteen. Don't grow up too fast. You'll regret it later."

"Isadora?" Maya repeated for clarification. It took her a moment, but after analyzing the woman in front of her, everything clicked. Alina was petite. She stood a little over five feet in heels. Her hair was pinned into a simple bun, revealing her ears. They were the same—her eyes, ears and nose. Her skin was a bit darker than her friend's, but the resemblance was there. "As in _the_ Isadora Smackle? You're Ali? Oh man, I didn't see that one coming."

"In the flesh," Dr. Mack sighed, taking a few steps back to rest her behind against the computer desk. Isadora Smackle and Isaiah Babineaux were the final two pieces needed to complete their circle of friends. However, unlike Zay, Smackle wasn't an open book. Her feelings were often difficult to interpret and she shared her personal experiences only sparingly. "I haven't been Ali _Smackle_ in years though. Things change."

The only person in their group who truly knew Smackle was her boyfriend, Farkle Minkus. She rarely mentioned her life at home, so the girls paid extra attention whenever she did. Isadora grew up with both of her parents, but they were especially cold. They hardly acknowledged her Asperger's in hope of it being a childhood phase and her much older sister, Ali, seemed to be too self-absorbed to give a damn about what happened at home.

"I pictured you being a lot different in my head," Maya admitted, reflecting on the Crazy Ali references that Smackle brought into conversation every now and then. "You're so pretty. It kinda makes my eyes hurt."

"What did you expect?" Dr. Mack asked, pausing afterwards to retrace her steps. Maybe she shouldn't have asked. Sometimes knowing nothing was better than knowing it all. "Don't answer that. I'm sure she paints me as some wicked witch from the west side. Smackle women have always had a flair for the dramatic, you know. I love my baby sister. I just wasn't around enough when she was growing up, and I guess you could say that I wasn't much of a role model. Anyways, I am so sorry. I'm rambling. You're here for an appointment, not my life story. So what seems to be the problem?"

The problem? Maya didn't know where to begin. It all started four weeks ago, maybe even before then. Dr. Mack pursed her lips and adverted her attention back to the documents in her hands. Maya was up-to-date on all of her shots. That was a pleasant surprise. She concluded that Maya had been a fairly healthy girl up until now. This was all startling and new.

"I don't get sick," Maya professed, incapable of sitting still. "I mean, everyone gets sick. I know that. I get headaches when I don't drink water and runny noses when it's flu season, but _this_ has never happened to me before. I throw up everything and I'm always tired. It's frustrating, but I know that I'm fine. I'm doing this for my family. They're the ones that wanted me to see a professional."

"Oh, I see," Dr. Mack acknowledged, uncapping her pen to manually jot down a few notes onto her clipboard. "You're a very lucky girl, Maya. You have friends and family that care about you. Not everyone has that as a luxury. Anyways, it would help me, the professional, a great deal if you were to answer the following questions honestly and to the best of your ability. That way, we can get down to business.

"Got it."

"Alright," Dr. Mack said, looking up from her clipboard to begin her questionnaire. "When I was your age, I used to hate these questions. They're important though. Are you aware of any hereditary diseases or abnormalities common in your family?"

"No, ma'am," Maya answered shaking her head. The Harts and Clutterbuckets were fairly healthy. Her mother never told her about any underlying health concerns to look out for later in life. "My mom's side of the family is clean. I can't speak for my biological father, but there shouldn't be anything to worry about."

"Have you taken any medications, supplements or dietary pills in the past twenty-four hours? Prescription and non-prescription OTCs count," Dr. Mack continued down her list, checking off each individual bullet as she went. Maya wasn't taking any particular medication. She just took whatever her friends offered.

"Ibuprofen," Maya answered, somewhat confident in her response. In truth, she hardly paid attention to labels. Light painkillers were, indeed, light. "At least, that's what I think."

"Do you smoke or take any recreational drugs?" Dr. Mack asked. Maya noticed the change in her demeanor as soon as she mentioned the word _smoke_ , but refrained from acknowledging it.

"No," Maya dismissed, swinging her legs back-and-forth. Her feet were far from the ground, so she decided to make the best out of her height. "I don't smoke. The temptation just isn't there anymore."

She tried to incorporate a joke into her response but regretted it as soon as the words escaped from her lips. She was kidding, after all. Drugs never appealed to her, and they weren't a part of her scene.

"Do you drink alcohol? If so, how much and how often?" Dr. Mack inquired, recovering from a failed attempt at suppressing a yawn.

"Nope, I don't drink either," Maya said, coming to a realization that for a wild child, she wasn't all that wild. She knew for a fact that developing bad habits would be a death sentence. Riley would have her head if she showed up to the bay window under any type of influence.

"What's your menstrual cycle like?" Dr. Mack went on to ask. A brief silence filled the room as the physician flipped to a different page. Maya could only describe herself as stumped. She had never been entirely comfortable with discussing her period with anyone simply out of embarrassment. Maya could vividly remember her first encounter with Mother Nature when she was a sixth grader at John Quincy. Mr. Matthews, of all people, had been the one to pull her aside after noticing a small patch of blood on her backside. She had been twelve years old and absolutely mortified. Mr. Matthews, however, was a father. As a father, he knew exactly what to do.

"Oh," Maya huffed, suddenly overwhelmed. She couldn't recall the last time her cycle came full circle, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. "I haven't had my period in a while, but I've always been irregular."

"Irregular periods are common with girls your age," Dr. Mack elaborated on the blonde's statement. "Your cycle will balance itself out, I'm sure. I wouldn't stress over it too much, but if it does become a problem, we can talk to your parents about birth control. I've been there, it's not that bad. But on the topic of birth control, are you or have you been sexually active?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"It happened once," Maya clarified, looking down at her platform sneakers. She was almost too ashamed to lock eyes with Alina. Without a doubt, the night she spent with Joshua Matthews had been one of the best nights of her life. It was so much more than a grief fuck, but at the end of the day, they were still at different stages of life. Josh vowed that he wouldn't touch her like that again until their someday came around. "In January...a couple of days after my birthday."

"Duly noted, but specifics aren't necessary," Dr. Mack said, the kindness in her voice exceeding the younger girl's expectations. "Thank you for being honest with me. I don't want to overstep my boundaries, but I _think_ I know what's going on here. If you don't mind, I would like to check your vitals, continue your check-up and hopefully collect some blood samples to analyze."

"You're the doctor. I'm the patient," Maya shrugged, insinuating that she'd go along with anything within reason. "Do what you do best."

Dr. Alina Mack flashed a sympathetic smile at the petite blonde as if to communicate her assumptions through actions rather than words, but Maya couldn't translate the gesture. The physician frowned. It seemed as though the teen was clueless.

"It could be anything," Dr. Mack began, trying to sound as level-minded as possible. Maya was so young and full of potential. The news she was about to receive would be a game changer. "But I've seen this before, Maya. There is a fair chance that you _might_ be pregnant."

Maya instinctively placed a hand to her stomach as if the slightest touch could call her bluff. She felt bloated, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Maya _knew_ that she wasn't expecting anything any time soon.

"I'm sorry, but that's impossible," Maya firmly denied. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Dr. Mack's mouth. She didn't feel pregnant. Weren't mother's supposed to have some sort of intuition? "I think I would know."

When Riley was in the fourth grade, she caught a stomach bug that was going around their school. Maya tried to convince herself that their cases were similar. A stomach virus would be easier to handle than an unexpected teenage pregnancy.

"We won't know for sure until your results come in," Dr. Alina Mack assured, placing a hand on the petite blonde's shoulder. Maya suddenly felt the need to cry."Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm wrong. We can't rule anything out just yet."

"Alright. I understand," Maya breathed out, wiping the excess sweat off of her palms with the front of jeans. "We can, um, carry on if you want."

The rest of her appointment went by without a hitch. Maya stood straight, bent over, walked in straight lines, allowed Dr. Mack to check her vitals, and feel for any swollen lymph nodes. It was all standard protocol, but everything went south when Maya was instructed to lift her shirt a few inches. She did as she was told, incapable of protesting, and swore she was impregnated with trepidation. Dr. Mack pushed down on various regions of her abdomen, asking every so often if she felt any pain or discomfort. Her swelling was quite obvious, but Dr. Mack refrained from making any remarks. Instead, she went straight to preparing samples, breaking the blonde's heart in the process.

* * *

Just as Dr. Alina Mack expected, both of the samples came back with conclusive evidence. While running the samples for any potential abnormalities, one of the lab technicians came across an abundance of hGC, a hormone produced during the gestation period of a woman's pregnancy. Maya Hart was, without a doubt, pregnant at sixteen. For the first time in her entire career, Dr. Mack wasn't sure how to deliver the blow. Most women would feel blessed to be with child, but Maya was still a child herself.

"What's the verdict? Maya pressed, jumping to her feet as soon as she caught sight of the tiny brunette entering the observation room. Maya's eyes were bloodshot, brimming with tears, but she refused to cry. Not until she knew for sure. "I'm not pregnant. I know that I'm not. You are going to tell me that this was a huge misunderstanding, right?"

"If I could, I would," Dr. Mack began, finally coming to a conclusion that she would have to treat Maya with the same mannerisms she showed her terminal patients. "On the bright side, you're perfectly healthy. For someone who never goes to the doctors, you seem to take care of yourself pretty well. If you continue to do so in the upcoming months, you and your baby will be just fine."

"My baby?" Maya choked, placing a shaky hand to her chest. She felt for the locket she kept close to her her heart as the room fell into yet another uncomfortable silence. She felt breathless again. This time, however, her physician's words were far from soothing. "Can you check again? I can't be pregnant. I just can't. I'm not."

"I am so sorry," Dr. Mack apologized, glancing at her computer screen one last time before giving her full attention to the young girl. As soon as she made eye contact with Maya, she opened her mouth to continue: "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but you _are_ pregnant. We ran your samples twice, and you tested positive both times. I would say that you're about eleven weeks, so you're due to enter the second trimester very soon. With that being said, the window for you to safely terminate is about to close. So if you would like to invest, I'll have to refer you to another office as soon as possible."

"It's all my fault," Maya frowned, feeling weak at the knees. She moved to take a seat atop the observation table and placed her head in her hands. Without warning, she cried. She let her tears run freely down her face, her mind far from the aftermath of ruining her makeup. "When I was younger, I used to believe that hope was for suckers. But it's not. My best friend taught me how to believe in everything...the world, myself, our futures. Maybe I asked for too much. Now I'm a cliche. I'm not _just_ pregnant. I'm sixteen and pregnant. I'm _that_ girl. I used to make fun of _that_ girl."

"This will definitely take some time to get used to, but I'm sure that you're strong enough to get through this," Dr. Mack affirmed, submitting the updated version of the blonde's documentation into her database. "Now that, that's out of the way, I would like to discuss your options. As your doctor, it would go against my morals to tell you what to do, but as a woman, I can advise you to consult with your friends and family before you make any big decisions on your own. Did you come alone or is someone waiting for you in the lobby?"

Her tears stopped as soon as they began. She had to pull herself together, after all. Maya couldn't decide what she feared the most: actually having a baby or telling her loved ones. Shawn hadn't been in her life for very long, but he was already the type of father she dreamed of. Losing him over something so consequential would break her heart. She also feared her mother's reaction. She would be more than devastated. Shawn fixed their broken home, and Maya felt as if she were putting it all on the line.

"I can't even drive," Maya answered, laughing at the irony. She was hardly old enough to get behind the wheel of a car yet she she could carry a baby full term. "My, um, father brought me in."

"Would you like me to get him? Now, this is entirely up to you, but I can't schedule any more appointments or write any prescriptions without prior approval from a parent or legal guardian. If you don't know what to say, I can help you. My sister looks up to you, you know. You seem like a good kid, Maya, and good things happen to good people. I can promise you that everything will get better. You just have to take things slowly...one step at a time. What happens next is all up to you."

What happens next? Maya didn't want to think about it. She wanted to curl up in bed with her best friend. She wanted to back to that night and put a stop to their illicit encounter. This was a nightmare, but she couldn't change a damn thing. This was her reality.

"I would like that. Thank you."

* * *

"Maya!" Shawn exclaimed, rushing to his adoptive daughter's side as soon as her room came into view. When Dr. Mack retrieved him from the waiting area, he couldn't help but worry. In his lifetime, he had learned to accept that doctors were more than often bearers of bad news. He had a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that something was wrong. "Hey, you. What happened? Are you alright?"

Maya didn't look okay. As much as she would hate to admit it, she was a sight for sore eyes. Her hair was frizzy and her makeup left behind clumpy trails of onyx and grey. If it were any other day, Shawn would have made a comment about her resemblance to a clown, but he knew better. It felt like he was being put to the test.

The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but shut it immediately after. Recognizing Maya's helplessness, Dr. Mack stepped in: "She's healthy, Mr. Hunter. Maya's in great shape. I can attest to that. Her examination was very thorough, so nothing went unnoticed. However, with that being said, I would like to schedule more frequent appointments to keep tabs on her condition."

"That's unnerving," Shawn said, narrowing his eyes at Dr. Mack. She had a familiar face, but he was certain that this was their first encounter. "What condition are you talking about? I thought you said that she was healthy."

"I am," Maya answered for her, brainstorming different ways to lessen the blow. "What I'm feeling now...it's temporary. It'll go away."

Hearing those words, Shawn felt relieved. Everything seemed to be alright, but he could tell that the two were holding back a great deal of information. Neither Maya or Dr. Mack spoke of her mysterious condition.

"But there's more."

"I knew it," Shawn braced himself, tension building in the room. Good and bad news come hand in hand. Life was a perfect mixture of both, after all. "Just tell me fast. Rip it off like a bandage."

"I'm pregnant," Maya said in a single breath. It felt cold. Really cold. She didn't know if it was the A/C unit of if it was all in her head.

"You're _what_?"

"You heard what I said," Maya frowned, biting down on her lip with enough force to draw blood. As she waited for a response from the man she saw as her father, she could feel her heart beat from outside of her chest. "This is awkward. It's awkward enough for me, but I thought you should know."

Shawn turned to look at Dr. Mack for clarification, confusion etched onto his face. Pregnant? He wasn't quite sure if he heard her correctly. His newly developed sense of selective hearing was to blame. It wasn't until Maya's tears made a surprising comeback that he realized that she was, indeed, with child.

"Oh, Maya," Shawn sighed, impulsively pulling the much smaller girl into an embrace. She began to sob and Shawn was mortified by her sudden outburst. He didn't know what to say or do, so he reached out to comfort her in her time of need. The thirteen years he spent in solitude hadn't prepared him for this moment. He never had to deal with pregnant teenagers or in his case, pregnant teenage daughters. "Your mom hasn't even been gone for two months and you're already pregnant? Guess I lost that bet."

"This isn't funny," Maya sniffled, pulling away from his arms. She knew that he was just trying to make light of the situation, but she couldn't bring herself to laugh. She expected him to be disappointed. She betrayed their trust. Katy and Shawn weren't strict, but there were rules. Shawn's face showed little emotion, maybe a little shock, but there was a tenderness in his eyes that seemed comforting enough.

"You're right," Shawn agreed, letting his arms fall limp at his sides. "This isn't something to joke about. I am disappointed, Maya, but that doesn't change the fact that you're my daughter."

"I've never been this scared in my entire life," Maya confessed, mindlessly staring into the hallway. "I want mom to come home, but that's selfish. She's following her dreams, and I'm on the other side of the country ruining them. This is going to ruin her. What am I supposed to do?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I don't know. You're the adult."

"This is your life," Shawn said, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I am the adult, but I know that you're old enough to make your own decisions. It's your body, your baby, and you're choice. I'm only here to help you along the way. The same goes for your mom."

"I mentioned this before," Dr. Mack added, clearing her throat before their silence became too stark. "You have a wide-variety of options to choose from. If you plan on carrying your baby full term, please keep in mind that adoption is a very popular alternative. If you feel like you can't handle it, I can refer to one of our sister clinics."

"I know what I want to do," Maya answered, dismissing the possibilities of giving up her child for adoption or investing in an abortion. The baby wasn't _just_ hers. "But at the same time, I don't. I know that, as of right now, I'm not ready to be a mom. I'm sixteen, and I don't think I've ever held a baby in my life."

"Well, I see your point," Shawn concurred. When he was sixteen, he wouldn't have been able to take on the role of a parent. Even at twenty-four, he hadn't been ready for that type of commitment. Even though he claimed to support his adoptive daughter's decision, he was a bit skeptical of her raising a child. Her future was so bright.

"But that doesn't mean that I won't be ready for the time comes," Maya continued, insinuating that this was something she wanted to do. "I don't want to regret the things I didn't do. I have a really good life. I want to be able to make mistakes and grow from them. I want to be able to grow from this. I don't want to run away. Shawn, you said it yourself...this baby is mine. Maybe all I need is time."

"Well," Dr. Mack smiled, "It's settled. Your time isn't infinite, but I'm sure seven months is enough to prepare. Unfortunately, I'm not an obstetrician, so when you make another appointment at the reception desk, Renee will pencil you in for an initial consultation with one of my associates, Dr. Liv Patel. I can promise you that she's finest obstetrician we have to offer. She might actually be the best in the Village."

"She sounds expensive," Maya thought aloud. Her concerns were valid. They had money, but they didn't have money like _that_.

"It's covered," Dr. Mack explained. "We work _for_ Mrs. Minkus, and we owe our practice to the charitable donations from the corporation. Between your health care plan and the generosity of your friends, I am certain that you won't have to pay much out of pocket until you give birth."

Birth. This was actually happening. Maya couldn't wrap her head around it.

* * *

When Shawn Hunter came into their lives, Maya knew that her mother had _finally_ met the one. Katy deserved a man who loved her. Shawn was everything she ever wanted and more. When Kermit left, Maya witnessed her mother reach an all-time low. She set aside her own hopes and dreams to raise her daughter alone. Angela moved to New York shortly after, but that didn't change much. Maya didn't want to be the one to bring her mother down from her pedestal of happiness. She would tell Katy sooner or later, but as of now, this was her time to shine. Now, all she needed to do was to convince her adoptive father to keep his mouth shut for the time being.

"You can't tell mom," Maya pleaded, her voice sounding much more frantic than formidable. Those were the first words she dared to speak ever since they left the building. And, quite frankly, the thirty-something year old didn't know how to react. "She can't know, not yet."

"Maya, she's my wife," Shawn attempted to reason, unlocking the doors of his SUV with the key. Every night at eleven, Shawn and Katy took the time to video chat with each other until they were too tired to go on. Their conversations were mainly focused on Katy, but Shawn didn't mind. He was a man in love. "You know you can't keep this from your mother. That'll only make things worse."

Stepping into the vehicle, Maya sighed. She knew that, of course. She knew that her mother was bound to discover the news, but she didn't want to ruin her moment. If she told Katy now, she would be on the first flight back to New York, her acting career fading into oblivion. She couldn't do that to the woman who sacrificed everything to raise her.

"I know," Maya said, pulling the passenger seatbelt across her body. She snapped it into place and reached out to adjust one of the air vents. "I'll tell her when she comes back. It'll break her heart. Give me a few weeks and it's done, I promise."

"You're asking me to walk on eggshells," Shawn shook his head in disapproval, "If she finds out that I knew about your little dilemma and kept it from her, say goodbye to the living room because that's where I'll be sleeping for the next year and a half. I actually like sleeping in my bed, and it's even better when my wife is there. I'm serious though. Your mom loves you, kid."

"Yeah," Maya countered, "And I love her. That's why waiting is the best option. She's made so many sacrifices for me, Shawn. I want her to enjoy what she has while it lasts...and I need some time to think this over. Please?"

"It's your life," Shawn restated, "I could never stress that enough. This is your secret to tell. Not mine. I'm just gonna put it out there and say that it'll be much easier for you to get it out of the way now. In four weeks, you'll be what? Fifteen weeks?"

"Four weeks is enough time," Maya insisted, resting her head against the chilly window. She could hear her heartbeat from outside of her chest. She couldn't believe that she was with child. She never any of this to happen so soon, but she would have to deal with the cards life sent her way.

"Is it going to take you four weeks to tell Josh?" Shawn queried, shifting his gears in reverse to maneuver out of the tight parking space they were in. During the appointment, Maya implied that the father played an active role in her life. Shawn could only assume.

"No," Maya answered, shutting her eyes for a few seconds. "I'd like to think that he's equally responsible. He deserves to know just as much as I do—wait, what? How did you know?"

"I took a wild guess," Shawn chuckled, tightening his grip on the leather steering wheel cover his wife insisted on buying himself for Christmas. "I narrowed it down to Lucas, Farkle, Josh and Zay. Out of the four, Josh was the only one that made sense. Kids don't give adults enough credit nowadays. I know about what goes on in your life, Maya. Your mom and I are a lot older than you are, but we were your age once...and I've seen the way that idiot looks at you. It's the same way Cory looks at Topanga; the way I look at your mom. He adores you. How did you get yourself into his mess? No, don't answer that."

Both Maya and Shawn cringed at the mention of her sex life and retreated into an awkward silence. To alleviate some of the tension, Shawn turned up the radio's volume with one of the shortcut controls on his steering wheel while Maya searched through a variety of FM stations for something worth listening to. After going through the loop a four times, she decided to plug in her spare auxiliary cord and play her own music. Without another word spoken, they drove home listening to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, sirens and horn wiling in the distance. For a split second, it felt like any other day.

* * *

 **Additional Author's Note:** RR, read silently, maybe binge it all. That's all up to you! Thank you so much for reading. I know that many of you are familiar with this story already, so I hope that this revision doesn't disappoint. Expect another chapter in the next few days!


	2. Chapter 2

**_Northern Constellations_**

 **Summary:** Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they discover the wonders and woes of young parenthood. Joshaya. Post-S3.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the wait. I took all of your reviews into consideration. I fixed a few minor details.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

As a freshman in college, Joshua Matthews forgot what it felt like to be truly alone. So when he walked into his floor's communal restroom and saw it empty, he couldn't help but think that the world was coming to an end. He put his money on a zombie apocalypse or even a shortage of pizza in the dining hall.

After falling into routine, adjusting to life away from home felt like second nature. With that being said, however, he never got over his need for privacy. Back home, his parents had been especially lax. In exchange for good grades and respect, they provided Josh with enough space to grow and flourish on his own. The world was his to meet, after all.

As soon as the lights switched on, the brunette found himself searching for the furthest stall from the entrance, toiletry and clothing in hand. Normally, he wouldn't shower more than once so early in the day, but he couldn't bear his roommate's endless carping. According to the infamous Isaac Reeves, Josh reeked of cigarette smoke, aging library books and bad decisions. Isaac's complaints were humorous at the end of the day, but he refused to stand down until Josh obliged.

After stripping himself of his clothing, Josh stepped into the shower to get the water running. He preferred it cold, especially since the freezing temperatures discouraged the clandestine thoughts he had about the pretty little blonde who lived off of Greenwich and Houston. She often occupied his mind during times like these. He loved her big blue eyes and stubbornness, but the shape of her lips and her full lips would be the death of him. He tried—he tried to cleanse his mind of impurities and treasured memories—but all of his attempts were made in vain.

Even after everything they had been through, he insisted that they should continue playing the long game. He wanted her to be able to live her life. She was a teenager, and it was imperative for her to meet new people and explore her own reckless spontaneity. Rushing into a relationship wouldn't be fair to her. Maya deserved a normal adolescence. That was something she couldn't get with him.

Still, none of that seemed to matter when they were together. The first few weeks following their night together hadn't been the most pleasant, but they finally came to a mutual understanding: one day, someday, eventually. Maya was worth the extra mile. Sometimes, however, he wished that he had control over his feelings. He presumed that life would be much easier then.

As soon as Josh washed the soap off of his body and rinsed the shampoo from his hair, he turned off the water and began to dress himself. His outfits were becoming a bit repetitive, so he made a mental note to head over to his brother's apartment later to throw a load in the wash and grab a bite on the way.

About four minutes later, he finished getting ready, but instead of rushing back to his infuriating roommate, he decided to stick around. He looked at himself in one of the full body mirrors and sighed. He thought back to the days where he didn't have a care in the world, but refused to dwell on them.

Those days were long gone. He was an adult now.

* * *

"Josh?" Maya called, raising a fist to knock on his door for the second time. It was almost too easy to sneak into his building without attracting the attention of any male residents and dorm advisers. Aside from the occasional looks she received from uninterested bystanders, no one dared to acknowledge her. "It's Maya. We need to talk."

No response..well, until she heard the soft shuffling of loose leaf paper accompanied by a very familiar sneeze. Before turning on her heels to walk in the other direction, she narrowed her eyes and looked skeptically at the door. Someone was definitely in there alright, and they completely ignored her pleas. How rude.

"Isaac?" Maya shot back, oblivious to the snickering pair of seniors observing from the other end of the hallway. When she was younger, she naively assumed that all college boys were mature. She had been mistaken. "I know you're in there."

Suddenly all was silent, and the blonde rolled her eyes at the nerve this boy had. It was common courtesy to at least open the door. Before she met her Josh's roommate from hell, she was certain that the stories he told were exaggerated. Things were different now that they had been formally introduced. Even after abandoning his favorite verbal tick, Isaac's social etiquette had yet to change.

"Yes?" Isaac finally answered, his hands fumbling as he unlocked the door. Once he moved the deadbolt back into place, he cracked open the wooden slab ever so slightly to get a better glimpse at the tiny blonde standing anxiously in the hallway. "I know you're out there. What do you want?"

"Where's Josh?" Maya prodded, cocking her head to the side, imitating a look of aggravation. She wanted to intimidate him, and in a matter of seconds, she did. Isaac Reeves was smart, sure, but he feared women more than life itself.

Maya attempted to call Josh earlier, but her call went straight to voice mail. She had been greeted by an inspirational message instead of the real thing, and she was tempted to give up then and there. Her next best alternative was texting, so she composed a variety of messages and erased them all out of fear. After about an hour of contemplation, she decided to woman up and see him in person.

"He stepped out not too long ago," Isaac replied nonchalantly, keeping his grip on the door knob as tight as ever. She could tell that he was struggling with his speech, but she understood his pain all too well. "You know you aren't allowed to be here, Maya. Why do you insist on coming back?"

"Huh," Maya huffed, gently shoving the door with the tip of her sneakers. Isaiah stumbled back a few steps, regretfully giving the blonde an advantage. Without warning, she shoved past him to enter the dorm. "Since when did you become my keeper?"

"You're going to get us in trouble," Isaac explained, shutting the door behind him when he realized that she wasn't going to budge any time soon. Maya hopped up to sit on the edge of Isaac's desk causing him to quickly gather the papers he had been working on to shove them into a manila folder. "I know just how much you love sneaking around campus. That's fine by me. I'm all for personal visits, but the dean isn't when minors are involved."

Maya didn't need to be reminded. In between listening to her best friend's objections and the warnings she received from the adults in her life, there weren't any blank spaces. She knew the risks but decided to take them anyways. Before opening her mouth to speak, she was reminded of the first time she set foot on campus. She had been fourteen at the time, wearing her heart on display for all to see.

"Relax," Maya sighed, running a hand through her long blonde hair. Shortly after she left the apartment, she attempted to put her hair into a bun without any pins or ties. It worked for the most part, but after weathering some harsh winds, her hair decided to do its own thing. She was in dire need of a brush. "I think I know my way around here, so I doubt that anyone suspects a thing. Unless, I don't know, you plan on telling this so-called dean that I'm here."

"Are you kidding?" Isaac asked incredulously, pacing back-and-forth throughout the dorm, floorboards creaking. "I'm in too deep. Do you know where you are? My dorm without your little boyfriend. It's just you and me. No thanks. I'm basically harboring a fugitive."

"That's a new one. I've never been compared to a fugitive before. A street rat, maybe, but never a fugitive," Maya teased, incapable of looking into the young man's eyes. She pinched herself as a reminder that she didn't show up to his door to initiate any playful banter. Maya came with a purpose, and her stomach went sour at the thought. Without warning, she leaned over the side of the desk and emptied her stomach of whatever contents remained.

"You didn't!" Isaac shrieked, his brown eyes widening in disbelief. He jumped at the sound of her retching, covering the bottom half of his face with his hands. As soon as he got over his disgust, he rushed to open one of the windows to help circulate fresh air into the room.

"I did," Maya pouted, wiping her mouth with her bare wrist. She straightened herself out and stood up from her seat. She felt embarrased. Truly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. The feeling comes and goes. I'm going to shut up and get rid of this mess."

Maya seemed helpless. It was so unlike her normal amazonian self. They were far from friends. Josh and Isaac hardly had a difficult time coexisting for the most part, and he didn't necessarily enjoy Maya's presence in their stuffy dorm, but he still had a heart.

"Just go home, Maya," Isaac stated, his mouth forming a straight line. Instead of making any snide remarks, he simply let her be. "You don't even have to worry about cleaning up. I'll take this downstairs on my way out. I need a little fresh air anyways."

"Before I go," Maya began, unwrapping the stick of gum she kept in her back pocket. "I really need to talk to Josh. It took me an hour to prepare for this. I'm not leaving here until I get to see him."

"You're so freaking stubborn," Isaac muttered under his breath, shoving his wallet into one of the spacious cargo pockets on the right leg of his khakis. He took a few steps toward the mini fridge on his side of the room and pulled out two large bottles of Assam Black Tea. He held out one of the drinks to her and she gleefully accepted. "Look, Josh isn't even on campus. He's at his brother's place to do laundry. He's free after three, so he might stay for dinner. I don't know. I'm not his keeper either."

"No," Maya groaned, arching her neck in frustration. She walked about twenty minutes to get to Josh's dorm, passing her best friend's home in the process. "It took me so long to get here. I'm so tired, more than you'll ever know."

"Oh, believe me," Isaac narrowed his eyes at the blonde, picking up the recycling bin with one hand and opening the door with the other. "I think I know exactly how you feel."

"Yeah, well, that's impossible," Maya sneered, taking a sip of the cold beverage Isaac handed her on the way out. It had an acquired taste, but she thought it was oddly refreshing. "Thanks for the drink. You aren't too bad, _shnoopaloop_. Maybe we can actually be friends one day."

"I stopped saying that months ago," Isaac argued, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the petite blonde as they made their way down the hall. Maya wondered if her baby would be tall like Josh or short like everyone on her mom's side. "You're almost as bad as Josh. Almost. I think I just might like you a little bit more."

* * *

When Josh arrived at his brother's apartment, he wasn't all that surprised to see his sister-in-law lounging in front of the television with a plate of leftovers in hand. She was dressed in her normal business attire, flattering yet professional, her eyes glued screen in hopes of finishing an episode before heading back to work.

"Topanga!" Josh greeted, locking the door behind him. The Matthews Family often left it unlocked, but he decided to take precautions anyways. With his laundry sack in hand, he began to walk toward the stairwell but not before peaking at the television. "Ah, yes. Gilmore Girls. Great choice. I love this show."

"What do _you_ know about the Gilmore Girls?" Topanga laughed, keeping her eyes locked on the final scene between Stars Hollow's fast-talking princess and the local grocery boy.

"Ask Morgan," Josh winked, reminiscing the long, grueling hours he spent binge watching the show with his older sister a couple of years ago. Morgan had been twenty-seven at the time, single and recently unemployed, so she decided to move back home to regroup. That only lasted about four months, but Josh enjoyed the company. "That looks like season one. Don't tell me this is your first time watching."

"It is, thank you very much," Topanga replied, fighting back the urge to ridicule his tone. Her in-laws were something else, but she loved them regardless. She had known Josh since the day he was born and saw him as the annoying, grown-up little brother she never had. "You know, for sixteen-year-olds, these kids kiss a lot. Is this how it is nowadays? Should I have a talk with Riley?"

"Riley? No," Josh chuckled. He couldn't quite picture his fifteen-year-old niece interlocking lips with her _somewhat_ insecure western hero of a boyfriend on a daily basis. She was just so innocent. Besides, Lucas Friar knew better than to push his boundaries. Cory, Josh, Shawn, and even Farkle would hunt him down to the ends of the earth if he dared to break her heart again. "Auggie, on the other hand, maybe. Rumor has it that he's ready to settle down and start a family of his own."

"Oh, shush," Topanga shot back, chucking one of the couch pillows in his direction. Despite being caught off guard, he dodged the hit and caught the pillow instead. He tossed it back onto the other side of the couch, careful not to aim anywhere near the wrath of Topanga Lawrence-Matthews. As soon as the end credits rolled, the older woman abandoned the couch, plate in hand and headed toward the kitchen. "First you, now my babies. Stay nineteen forever."

"No promises," Josh poked fun at her remark. Nineteen wasn't his finest age. He was still underage in terms of alcohol and theoretical adulthood. "But I'll try."

"As much as I hate to leave you alone," Topanga began, placing her dish in the sink. She turned on the faucet for a moment, allowing the water to flow freely. Then she shut it off, leaving her dish unwashed."I, sadly, have to get back to the office. I'm in charge of Louise Van der Veen's caseload for the next two months. She's on maternity leave, and I pulled the short straw. Wish me luck. Oh! Since you're already here, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," Josh shrugged, setting his laundry bag on the bottom step. He really didn't have much to do anyways. "You want me to wash the dishes?"

"I wasn't going to ask you that, but yes, that too," Topanga went on to explain, her voice raising several octaves. "Would you mind picking up Auggie after school? He gets out around three. I normally pick him up, but I have to meet with another witness, so I don't think I'll be able to make it in time. I'd ask your brother, but fourth period doesn't end until three fifteen."

"Oh, I don't mind at all," Josh said without hesitation. He loved spending time with his nephew. Auggie Matthews was the closest thing to a little brother he'd ever have. "I'll take him to that ice cream parlor on the way back and maybe even help him with the ladies."

"If Ava's mom can't make it—as _always_ —just take her with you, okay?" Topanga added, picking up her pace. She retrieved her purse and a large, black briefcase before walking toward the door. "I don't think she'll cause too much trouble, but she's Ava. Only time will tell."

"Thanks for the heads up," Josh nodded, turning on the dishwasher. "Ice cream, yes. Ladies, no."

"Yeah, good luck with that."

* * *

Maya learned the hard way that walking a mile in uncomfortable shoes while pregnant felt a lot like finishing a half-marathon. She debated on hailing a taxi, but that would've been a waste of time and money. She wouldn't use her baby as an easy way out. Exhausted or not, she needed the exercise and a reminder of her consequences.

She reprimanded herself for not taking any extra precautions. Before leaving the apartment, she felt especially warm. With their domestic heater set to seventy-five, her room felt like heaven. It felt so nice indoors that she forgot just how nippy it was behind closed doors. She walked out of the building wearing her favorite Bowie tee, boyfriend jeans, and a yellow cardigan she stole from Riley. That was her first mistake. Her second mistake would be slipping on the wrong shoes. While converse were much more comfortable than platform heels and knee-highs, they weren't padded enough to endure any long distance trekking. Her feet were sore, but that was expected. Her final mistake would be following her heart, reckless and untamed. She should've waited for a response instead of jumping to any conclusions.

The walk to her best friend's home wasn't very long, but it felt never-ending. Maya tried to suppress her doubts before climbing through Riley's bedroom window but failed with great indignation. The same questions haunted her and she needed answers. Maya proceeded to walk through the apartment with caution, unsure if they were alone. When she made came across the living room, her heart stopped. Josh sat perched in front of a laundry basket, folding clothes and stuffing them back into his sack.

"Josh," Maya gulped, stepping into the living room. She inched closer and closer to the couch, gripping on to it's backing before making any further comments.

"Maya," Josh reciprocated with equal gusto, turning around to come face-to-face with the gorgeous blonde that occupied his thoughts. Their conversations were often filled with innocent flirtation. He still saw her as innocent. "Shouldn't you be at school with Riley?"

"I skipped today," Maya answered, her words barely loud enough to be considered whispers. "I haven't really been feeling too hot lately. Shawn let me stay home."

"Oh," Josh mouthed, grabbing an armful of his remaining clothing from the couch to make room for Maya to sit down. "Are you sick? You know, if you're sick, you should probably get some rest. Here, sit down."

Settling onto the couch cushion adjacent to his, the blonde took in a deep breath. She didn't know how to go about speaking the very words that changed her entire orbit. They would change his too. Maya feared his reaction almost as much as her mother's.

"It's not like that," Maya admitted, looking down at her shoes. She couldn't afford to look into his eyes. They were a beautiful blue, even lighter than hers, and she was sure that they would destroy her. "I'm not sick Whatever I'm feeling now will pass in time, but some things will last forever. Life honestly hates me. That sucks because I _kinda_ thought we were on good terms now."

"Why does life hate you?" Josh asked incredulously, intrigued by her statement. The glint in her eyes made her seem like a child, and he couldn't help but laugh. Maya Hart was a beauty, for sure, but she was a little younger.

"This year started out pretty stressful, but I got over it," Maya brought forth, twiddling her fingers in her lap. "Riley brainwashed me into believing that hope isn't for suckers and I'm not gonna lie. That helped me through a lot. But this? Maybe I hoped for too much. Maybe I pushed too hard. My life was all that I hoped for it to be."

"What are you talking about?" Josh pressed, impulsively placing a hand in her lap to interlock their fingers. It didn't take a genius to see that something was bothering her.

"Do you remember that time I invited you over?"

"I've been to your house on multiple occasions," Josh implied, hoping to get some type of hint out of her. "You have to be specific."

"Oh, okay," Maya deadpanned, subconsciously tightening her grip on his hand. "How about this: you remember when we slept together?"

"Alright, there's the Maya I know and love," Josh chuckled, hoping diffusing the awkward tension building between the two. "Stop. You're killing me with those eyes."

"I know what you're doing," Maya sighed, retracting her hand from his with one swift pull. It was then that she realized that she bit off more than she could chew. Her mind advised her to wait, but she chose to follow her heart. "You're trying to distract me with your boyish charm, but that's not gonna stop me, Matthews. We need to talk about this. We need to talk about us."

"We talk about _us_ every time we see each other, Maya," Josh said, chewing at the fleshy insides of his cheek. "When I promised you the long game, I meant it. I want you to live your life. I want you to go out and meet the world, meet boys, meet yourself. You deserve choices."

"You either feel really sorry for me or guilty," Maya thought aloud, instantly regretting her choice of words. "We're playing the long game, I know. You want me to be a normal teenager, I get it. But I didn't come here to talk about that."

"Then what do you want to talk about?"

"Condoms, maybe," Maya answered, shrugging her shoulders as if it were nothing. "I guess the thought never occurred to me because you, you know, pulled out. But that didn't work."

"Jesus Christ," Josh exasperated, catching on fairly quickly. "Are you sure?"

"My doctor confirmed it," Maya smiled weakly. She hardly considered their dilemma as smile worthy, but she wanted to stay optimistic. "I walked in clueless and came out as a mother. Can't believe it? Good, neither can I."

"You're pregnant," Josh repeated to himself, trying to wrap his head around their frightening new ordeal.

"Yeah, I am," Maya nodded, carefully reading the expression on the brunette's face before he leaned forward to put his head in his hands.

"You're sixteen," Josh added, silently grateful for the younger girl's silent comfort. She placed a hand on his shoulder, softly rubbing to reassure him that she was still okay.

"Looks like we have a winner here. Thanks for stating the obvious, Matthews. I'm sixteen and pregnant. Very cliche."

"We aren't ready for this," Josh sat up after a few minutes worth of semi-deep contemplation. Surely, two minutes hadn't been enough time, but at least his thoughts were in the right place. "You're a freshman in high school and I'm a freshman in college. Maya, you have so much going for you. We aren't ready. This is all my fault. I'm sorry."

"We aren't ready," Maya agreed, ignoring his inclination to take the blame for _their_ actions. "I understand that, Josh, I really do. I want to try anyways. Yeah, this sucks, and it feels like the entire universe is plotting against me, but it is what it is. This is my life now. As of right now, I have nothing to show for. I don't know how to be a parent, hell, I've never made a dime on my own, but I can change that. My biological father walked out on me because he felt like he wasn't ready for me. I know that it sounds crazy, but I refuse to do the same."

"I see where you're coming from," Josh consoled, thinking of ways to get his point across. Similarly to Maya's parents and everyone who cared, he wanted the best for her. "I don't doubt for a second that you'll be an amazing mother, but think about it this way: you have a life to live, school to attend, and friends that look up to you. Wouldn't a kid get in the way of that? I'm in college now. High school? Been there, done that. You haven't."

"I don't want to argue with you, Josh," Maya began. "I always follow my heart even if it gets me into trouble. You should know that by now. I know what I want and nothing will ever change that. You're either in or you're out. That's all up to you. No hard feelings whatsoever." That was partially a lie, of course. She would care. A lot.

"I wasn't trying to start an argument with you," Josh clarified, taking a deep breath. "In the long game, I want what's best for you. If you really want to do this, I'll be there every step of the way. I care about you, Maya, more than you'll ever know."

* * *

Around three o'clock, Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart found themselves lounging on the steps in front of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Elementary School, their hands intertwined and minds twisted. As the duo awaited the sound of the dismissal bell, they couldn't help but picture themselves as parents to school aged children in the near future. Maya cringed at the thought. It was a bit difficult to picture herself as a doting mother picking up her child after school, but things would have to change.

Moments later, the bell rang and students began pouring out by the dozens. Maya watched as children greeted their parents with toothy smiles or bitter complaints. The kids at Franklin Delano were incredibly diverse in looks and demeanor. She knew that most parents raised their children in their own image, and that scared Maya half to death.

"Uncle Josh!" August Matthews exclaimed, running into eyesight, his short curls bouncing in the wind. A young girl followed behind him, struggling to catch up after being caught up in the crowd. Even without seeing her face clearly, Maya and Josh knew exactly who she was. Auggie Matthews and Ava Morganstern were quite the pair.

"Mr. Auggie!" Josh greeted, abandoning his spot on the concrete steps to welcome his young nephew with a manly embrace. The younger Matthews insisted that they were strictly bros in public, especially in the presence of his ball and chain. "Your mom's still at work, so I guess I'm in charge. Lucky you."

"Best day ever," Auggie cheered to himself, bumping knuckles with his favorite uncle. Josh and Auggie were exceptionally close before the big move. Now that Josh lived in Manhattan, their bond was stronger than ever. "Oh. you brought Maya?"

"Yeah," Josh answered, taking note of the suspicion in his nephew's eyes. "I brought Maya. What about you? You plan on bringing Ava?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Ava Morganstern beamed, making her presence known as soon as she caught up with the bunch. Without prior warning, she discarded her backpack and dropped it onto Maya's lap, startling her in the process.

"She's my wife," Auggie added, linking arms with the pretty little girl to his right. "What kind of husband would I be if I left her behind? A bad one, that's what."

"Take notes, Joshie," Ava teased, flinging her hair over one shoulder. Before trailing down the stairs, she winked at the tall brunette and gave him a soft nudge with her elbow. "Don't worry, Maya. I got your back."

"You guys are ridiculous," Maya rolled her eyes, failing to suppress a laugh. She stood up, backpack in hand, and followed the tiny girl down to the sidewalk.

"Ice cream?" Josh proposed, catching up with the girls. At the mention of ice cream, both children looked at each other with wide eyes. Auggie fist-pumped in midair while Ava flashed one of her genuine smiles. Kids were funny like that.

"Wow, Uncle Josh, you're the best!"

"I'm not your uncle, Ava," Josh explained, taking a moment to sneak a glance at the pretty blonde accompanying them.

Maya. It had always been Maya.

* * *

"Alright, kiddies," Josh began, looking down at the two younglings. Auggie and Ava peered into the coolers to check out the large ice cream tubs on display. There were so many flavors. Both Auggie and his father, Cory Matthews, made it a life goal to try every flavor in the shop. "Do you guys know what you want to order?"

Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, pralines and cream. There were just too many options and too many possibilities. While Auggie wasn't quite sure which route to take, Ava held herself with confidence. Before Auggie could open his mouth to speak, Ava interjected, making an extravagant gesture with her arms.

"Pineapple sorbet," Ava answered as if it were obvious. "One kids scoop in a cup. Definitely not a cone. I hate those. Please and thank you."

"Please and thank you?" Auggie shot back, placing a hand to his chest for dramatic effect. "Who are you and what have you done with my wife?"

"Oh, shush," Ava shooed off his remark, imitating the matriarch of his little clan. Ever since her parents' separation, Ava had grown closer to the entire Matthews family. She was practically one of their own now. "You know, if there's one thing my mom taught me, it's that sometimes you have to play nice to get what you want."

"Just sometimes?" Maya raised an eyebrow, peaking her head over the cooler to get a better glimpse at the ice cream. She wanted something small, but she couldn't pinpoint which flavor she was craving.

"All the time, maybe," Ava shrugged. "She's probably playing nice with one of her boyfriends right now, but I don't mind. I like spending time with you guys. It's kind of like a double date. Right, Auggie Doggie?"

"Well, I guess," Auggie said in a hushed tone, glancing back at the older pair lingering closely behind them. Josh and Maya were definitely close, but everyone seemed to fuss over their age difference. Someday, he recalled. They weren't dating now, but someday was a possibility. Besides, if they were together, he would've been one of the first to know. Their family didn't entertain secrets. "Maya and Uncle Josh aren't dating though. That'd be weird."

"You sure about that?" Ava whispered, a deviant smirk apparent on her porcelain features. Topanga believed that Ava Morganstern was always up to no good and was peculiarly one step ahead of the game.

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Alright, fine, no," the younger boy caved in, the suggestiveness in his best friend's voice swaying him in favor of her speculations. He trusted that, as his father hoped, the chemistry between blonde and brunette remain untouched until they were matured enough for an actual relationship. But sometimes, some things don't go according to plan. He saw the way his uncle looked at his surrogate sister—not to mention the fact that she was here with them instead of resting at home or at school with her own friends.

"Aren't you curious?" Ava questioned, rubbing her hands together. Oh yes, he was definitely curious now, more so than ever. "I have a plan, don't worry. I'll take Maya, you take Josh. Order for me, okay?"

"Wait, what?"

"Just go with it," Ava pressed before turning her attention to the petite blonde nearly four feet away. In all honestly, Ava looked up to the headstrong young woman. Maya had been through a lot during her sixteen years of life and she grew stronger by the day. Though she'd never admit it, she hoped to become someone as resilient as Maya Hart. "Maya?"

"What do you want?" Maya poked fun, her witty tone making a quick comeback before retreating back into her shell of anxiety.

"Can you walk with me to the bathroom?" Ava asked, yawning. Her acting abilities came naturally. She swore that she had the potential to be an academy award winning star.

"Huh? Alright."

"Hey, Maya, before you go," Josh said, building up the courage to stop her from leaving. Their relationship—or lack of relationship—was still on the rocks, so he settled on being extra careful in her presence. "What do you want? I'm about to order."

"Surprise me, boing," Maya shrugged.

He always does.

* * *

"Uncle Josh?" August Matthews narrowed his eyes at the towering brunette after he finished ordering for the foursome. Instead of digging into his pistachio goodness, Auggie seemed to be lost in thought. His thoughts were more than distracting. He just had to know.

"Yeah, Aug?"

"We need to talk," Auggie said seriously, suddenly disinterested in his cup. He ignored the tiny droplets of green liquid dripping down the sides, but a little melted ice cream never hurt anyone. He decided to let it be for the time being.

"Trouble in paradise?" Josh asked, raising an eyebrow. He could usually read his nephew's emotions like an open book, but he drew a blank. He didn't even know what _he_ was feeling anymore, so how could he decipher the mood of another?

"You wish," Auggie snorted, snapping back to reality for a brief moment. His relationship with Ava was going swell. They were meant to be together. They were practically soulmates. That's all that seemed to matter in the long game. "I mean, it is about Ava, but it's mainly about you."

"Alright," the older boy began as if he already knew the words that were going to spill from his nephew's mouth. "I don't know what Ava told you, but I am not out to steal your girl. I can promise you that."

"Oh, please," Auggie stopped Josh from continuing, slapping his thigh at the thought. "Like that's possible, but okay. I wanted to ask about you and Maya. You and Maya? What's up with that?"

"We're friends, Aug," Josh hesitated for a brief moment, shrugging his shoulders as if it were nothing. In reality, she was everything. "Me and Maya? You say that like it's a bad thing. I thought you liked her."

"I _do_ like her," Auggie corrected. In truth, he liked her very much. They were family. "That's why I'm worried. Uncle Josh, I just want you to know that I love you. I've known you my entire life, but..."

"It kind of feels like you're breaking up with me," Josh sighed, exaggerating his words greatly to add comedic relief. "But what?"

"I love Maya too," Auggie finished, rushing to the point. He didn't want to sugar coat anything. "Mommy and daddy gave me one sister, but somehow I grew up with two. It used to bother me, but now I'm glad. I'm glad that I have Riley _and_ Maya."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I know that you guys are friends," Auggie continued. "Ava thinks that you aren't. I just want to know if you guys are together?"

"We're friends," Josh let out a breathy laugh, taking a swig from his water bottle. "She's here because we had some stuff to talk about. I asked her to come with me. Four is always a party. I didn't want to be a third wheel."

"You don't sound convincing to me," Auggie pointed out, finally digging into his ice cream with his plastic spoon. "Maya likes you. I know that you know."

"Yeah, you're right. I do know."

"And you like her too?"

"What's gotten into you, Aug?"

"I just don't want to be left out of the loop this time. Riley doesn't tell me anything. Maya doesn't tell me anything. Mommy and daddy keep things from me too. You're different though. You _always_ tell me things—no matter what—but Ava said that there's a lot going on behind the scenes."

Josh sighed. "To answer your question, I do like Maya. I like her very much. But are we together? No. Not yet."

"Someday?" Auggie answered for him.

"Yeah, someday."

Crumbling the water bottle in his hands, Josh couldn't help but think that their someday came much sooner than expected.

* * *

 **Additional Author's Note:** Josh and Maya are adorable together even when they aren't together, don't you think? Their relationship is pretty complicated, but more conversations are on the way. After all, conversation is the most important part of any relationship. The next chapter is about friendship and accepting change. You're in for an emotional ride here.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Northern Constellations**_

 **Summary:** Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they explore the wonders and woes of young parenthood. Joshaya. Post-S3.

 **Author's Note:** Okay, yes. I did forget about this story, but I am determined to finish it someday. I honestly haven't had much time to write anything lately. I go to school on the east coast, and my campus was evacuated recently due to Hurricane Florence—because it's literally five miles away from the beach—so I am at home for the time being. I came across an email notification from ffn on my personal gmail, and I was inspired to pick this up. So thanks, unknown guest. This one is for you. Expect another update soon. If any of you are in Florence's path, stay safe.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Shawn Hunter loved Joshua Matthews. They were family, but for the first time in years, both men were at a loss for words. Shawn was reminded of the day Josh was born. He had seemed so helpless then, but by grace and through faith, he managed to pull through.

Shawn wouldn't have envisioned himself sharing _this_ moment with the young man he had grown fond of over the past nineteen years. It was surreal to think about how much their lives had changed in only a few short months. Josh grew up, and more importantly, so did Shawn.

"I can explain, sir," Josh sighed, his hands wrapped around a steaming hot mug of coffee. It was all so strange, and Josh felt as if he didn't belong. "I would never take advantage of Maya. You know that. You know me."

"Stop right there," Shawn interjected. His use of formalities seemed artificial. Josh spoke like they were strangers, and it was beginning to get under his skin. "What did you just say? Can you repeat that for me?"

Josh nodded. He made himself clear the first time, but he would oblige without any questions asked. This was a discussion they were bound to have time and time again.

"I would never take advantage of Maya," Josh proclaimed, inhaling deeply. "That's the truth. The respect I have for her is insane, sir."

"No, you idiot," Shawn rolled his eyes, taking one final sip of his cold brew. Words could not describe the discomfort he felt. "That's not what I meant. You called me sir. Who does that? Not you. Look, Josh, you're my best friend's kid brother. I remember you running around in diapers. Don't try to _sir_ me, man."

"Right, sorry," Josh apologized, fighting the urge to run from the leather clad man facing him. Shawn Hunter was an honorary Matthews—just like Maya—but Josh was torn. Their relationship had always been casual, but Shawn wasn't just a cool role model anymore. He was Maya's dad. "I just don't know what to say anymore. We didn't plan this."

"There aren't many people your age that do," Shawn said, attempting to break the thin ice that settled in between them. "You guys are young. Sometimes you do things that don't make sense, but there's always a reason. Maya's pregnant, and the kid is yours. That makes me a little uncomfortable. I'm sure you feel the same, but there's nothing we can do about that."

"I know."

"And there isn't a damn thing you can do to change the past either," Shawn continued. "So you have to make the best of what you have. I know that you're a _really_ great guy, but you have to keep in mind that I have a family now. I only want what's best for Maya."

"I want the best for her too."

"Then what are you going to do about it?" Shawn pressed, hoping to milk something out of the young man. "What are you going to do for her?"

"I don't know," Josh answered truthfully. His tone was far from patronizing. He was genuinely lost. "I don't know anything anymore. I'm not going to lie to you, man, I'm scared out of my mind. But I'm not leaving. I plan on...no, I am going to be there for Maya."

"Kids are a lot of work," Shawn added, reflecting on the very few moments he shared with his best friend's daughter when she was young. Riley Matthews was a force to be reckoned with, and her younger brother followed in suit. "This is going to change your entire life."

"I know."

"You okay with that?"

"Not at all," Josh confessed, suddenly feeling a weight being placed on his shoulders. He was beyond stressed, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how Maya felt. "But I will be."

"I'll hold you to it," Shawn affirmed, standing up from his seat to pour the rest of his beverage down the drain. "Well, I guess congratulations are in order."

"What?"

"Relax," Shawn said, chuckling to himself. "I'm not congratulating you for knocking up my daughter. I'm congratulating you because you've earned it."

"I can't say that I know what you're talking about. I haven't done anything yet. Care to enlighten me?"

"You're cooler than me now," Shawn said simply, shrugging his shoulders as if it were the most casual thing that ever came out of his mouth. "Congrats, man. You've proven yourself to be more of a man at nineteen than I had been until I turned thirty-two."

Moments later, Maya reappeared in the kitchen with an armful of warm hand towels fresh from the dryer. The tension between the two men dissipated immediately, and Maya felt a surge of hope rush through her body. Maybe they had a fighting chance after all.

* * *

"Alright, class," Cory Matthews clapped his hands together to gather the attention of his students. He corralled the teens back into their seats in preparation for his new lesson and socratic seminar. Cory cleared his throat as soon as silence overwhelmed the crowd. "I know that we're a _little_ behind because of yesterday's PSAT schedule, but I'm sure that we can breeze through chapters eight and nine in no time. I mean, of course, because you _all_ look so enthusiastic to learn. Look at my daughter, she's beaming with joy."

The entire class collectively groaned and fell into a miserable silence afterward. Nigel Ocampo, dressed to the nines, seemed to be the only student willing to learn.

"I hate to break it to you, Mr. Matthews, but it does _not_ look like she's beaming with joy. It actually looks like she's dying a very slow, painful death," Zay said, raising an eyebrow at his friend's sunken figure and then at Maya who was hunched over in a similar manner.

"He's right, daddy," Riley attempted to sob, lifting her head up to show off an award winning pout. If it were any other day, she would've been ready to take on the world—history class included—but today was different. "It would be really nice if you could give us a free day for once. I think I need some time to suffer in silence."

"Come on, Morotia," Mr. Matthews exasperated, shaking his head in disbelief. He loved teaching these kids, but sometimes they were a lot of work. "I started lecturing you while you were in your mother's womb. A little extra knowledge never hurt anyone."

Maya, half-unconscious, laughed absentmindedly at the mention of wombs. "You said womb," Maya snorted, raising her head from her desk for a brief moment. "That's funny."

Maya's joke was funny in her own eyes at the very least. Unbeknownst to her peers, she was carrying a child of her own. The thought still horrified her, but she was getting used to the idea each passing day.

"Very mature, Maya," Cory remarked, his voice dull with sarcasm. "Anyways, like I was saying, we will be covering chapters eight and nine today. Next week is pop quiz week, so it would _probably_ be in your best interest to take notes. Prepare yourself accordingly, children. Who knows what'll be on your first quiz."

"Daddy, no" Maya mocked her best friend, earning annoyed glances from both Matthews. Instead of soliciting a response, Cory continued to write something on the chalkboard. Maya cringed. She hated the sound of chalkboards. With all of the funding their school had, they never installed better boards. It made no sense.

"Margaret Sanger," Mr. Matthews exclaimed, setting his chalk down. "Does that name ring a bell. Zay?"

Zay pondered for a moment, opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it shortly after. "Nope," he shrugged, "I'm not even gonna try."

"Moving on," Mr. Matthews chuckled, scanning the room before pointing to another unsuspecting soul. "What about you, Mr. Friar? What do you have to say about Margaret Sanger."

"Margaret Sanger," Lucas repeated to himself over-and-over. After a few short moments, he snapped his fingers enthusiastically. "Didn't she design sewing machines? My nana has a singer at home."

"I think you're talking about Isaac Merrit Singer, Mr. Friar," Mr. Matthews said with an open mind. "But that was a pretty solid guess. I'll give you an A for effort. Farkle, what about you?"

"He isn't even here, Mr. Matthews," Maya pointed out, sitting up to stretch her arms. "Farkle and Smackle are on clean-up duty in AP Chem."

"What did they do this time?" Mr. Matthews asked incredulously. Their misadventures in science class always called for interesting discussions in the teachers lounge during planning periods. Mr. Matthews wanted the scoop.

"Drop it," Zay cringed at the mention of his favorite pair of geniuses. "I'm in AP Chem with them, so please don't ask. I don't think my heart can take it. Now what were you saying about Margaret Singer?"

"Margaret _Sanger_ , Mr. Babineaux," Cory corrected, stepping away from the chalkboard to lean against his rectangular desk. "Isaac Singer and Margaret Sanger are different people. Write that in your notes."

"Margaret Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood," Riley yawned, resting her cheek against the cover of her history textbook. "I think she opened up the _first_ birth control clinic in the early 1900s."

"That's my girl," Mr. Matthews beamed at his only daughter. "Welcome back to the land of the living. You love this stuff."

"Well, it _is_ interesting," Riley admitted, shutting her eyes to help relieve the headache building at the back of her skull. Tension headaches were a nightmare. "Even if you don't necessarily _believe_ in contraception or abortion—I know we all have different opinions about those—Margaret Sanger was revolutionary...well, at least when you disregard the fact that she was really ugly on the inside."

"It was a different time then," Mr. Matthews continued, carrying on with his lesson as planned. "And while I do _not_ agree with many of her beliefs and teachings, she did play a pivotal role in women's reproductive rights in the twentieth century. She fought for decades so young people could have a choice."

"So what you're saying is that before this whole _reproductive_ movement, safe sex wasn't a thing?" Zay mused, leaning back in his seat. The open discussion of sex in school was entirely new to the bunch, but they were getting older. It was inevitable.

"Safe _sex_ ," Riley began, flinching as she made eye contact with her father. She was still his little girl, and she learned very early on that this topic made things uneasy between them. "...well, back then, it was either marital sex or no sex at all. Women were expected to have one partner—their _husband_ —and anything else was frowned upon."

"That sounds like a double standard to me," Lucas whistled, acknowledging his girlfriend's statement. "Why couldn't everyone just mind their own business? I mean, if isn't your body, it shouldn't be your problem."

"Social norms are a thing, Lucas," Riley answered, taking the stage again. All eyes were on her, but it wasn't anything new. Maya finally sat up in her seat to listen. "They've always been a thing. It's 2017 and we _still_ let them influence the way we think. Let's take women for example. What's the _first_ thing that comes to mind when _we_ hear about a girl sleeping around? We assume that she's easy. That's so unfair because when a guy does the same, he gets a pat on the back. And don't get me started on teen moms."

"What about teen moms?" Maya spoke up, suddenly intrigued by her best friend's feminist spiel. It was painfully ironic. In a matter of months, she would be one herself.

"We're so quick to judge them," Riley elaborated, tapping her the cap of her pen against her desk. "We're _so_ quick to judge women based on whether or not they're sexually active, but newsflash, it's natural. It happens."'

"Damn—sorry, I meant _dang_ —Riley," Zay breathed out, his eyes widening at the young girl's audacity. Riley Matthews was a Matthews through and through. "What's got you so riled up?"

"Is it that pregnant junior in your math class?" Lucas asked, taking a moment to reflect on one of the many miniature rants she went on during their nightly FaceTime session.

"Something like that," Riley nodded, agreeing with his statement. She slumped back into her seat and sighed. It was true. It wasn't much of a secret that Alexandra Jane, 17, would be expecting her first child in June. Riley was happy for the girl, but a handful of upperclassmen were not. It was impossible to avoid all of the rumors spread about Alexandra, and it was beginning to take a toll on Riley's mood.

The class sat in silence for a moment as Mr. Matthews wrote another key point on the board. For the first time since she discovered the news, Maya felt incredibly guilty for not telling her best friend. She knew that Riley would support her. It was unfair of her to wait this long.

Then the door opened, breaking the blonde away from her train of thought, and the class was welcomed by Farkle Minkus and Isadora Smackle. Both teens were in a disheveled state, but the goofy grins on their face were enough to indicate that they were just fine.

"What did we miss?" Farkle asked, finally taking his seat behind one of his best friends. "Sorry Mr. Matthews. We had a little _too_ much fun in chemistry. Smith made us scrub the floor."

Mr. Matthews lesson carried on without a hitch, and Maya began to feel more confident as if she took in each and every fact or detail about important women of the twentieth century. If they were strong enough to power through adversity, so could she.

* * *

"I think I'm ready to tell my friends," Maya confessed later in the day over a box of greasy pepperoni pizza. She sat on the floor, paper plate in lap, as she nibbled away at a slice of her most recent craving. Josh laid on his stomach a couple feet away, and Maya wasn't quite sure if he already fell asleep, but it was worth a shot.

"When?" Josh asked, rolling on his back. He took a few seconds to stretch and eventually sat up to face her. He reached across Maya to grab a slice of his own and took a bite.

"I don't know," Maya sighed, wiping her hands on a paper napkin already covered with grease. It was disgusting, but this time, it made her mouth water. "Maybe today."

"Oh, yeah," Josh gulped, picking off a piece of pepperoni to pop it into his mouth. "Aren't you meeting with them at the bakery later?"

"I'm actually supposed to be there now," Maya said, checking the time on her phone. Riley left her six texts already. She felt bad for ignoring them. "But you just _had_ to buy me pizza, didn't you, boing? I am always late because of you."

"You sent me the pizza emoji with a question mark," Josh laughed, knowing that she was only half joking. "You wanted this as much as I did."

"Just a little bit," Maya teased, feeling her heart skip a beat she stared adoringly at Josh. She looked forward to spending time alone with him. It was the highlight of her day.

"So what's the plan, gorgeous? Are we going to sit here all night and watch Netflix or do you want to meet up with your friends before it gets too late?"

"Before it gets _too_ late," Maya repeated mockingly, raising an eyebrow at the older boy. "Yeah, okay, but I kind of want you to come with me. You know, for moral support."

"Done and done," Josh grinned. They didn't say much after that and were off to the bakery within the hour. Domesticity seemed to suit them well.

* * *

"Peaches!" Riley Matthews squealed, suddenly cured of her post-school blues. She tossed her tablet aside and shot out of her seat, nearly tripping over her boyfriend's leg as soon as she caught a glimpse of her best friend. It was already five o'clock and the gang had been waiting for over forty-five minutes. A life without Maya was a life left unlived.

"What in the..." Riley trailed off, her mouth curving downward into a frown when she realized that her best friend wasn't alone. Maya walked into the bakery hold hands with the youngest Matthew brother, tall in stature and stiff with mannerisms. Josh and Maya were undoubtedly the most problematic pair the gang had ever laid eyes on, but he seemed to make her so incredibly happy anyways. Their alleged friendship was based solely on passion and promise, and whenever they came together, things either went terribly wrong or terribly right. Riley wasn't quite sure what to think of her uncle's sudden interest in their evening study session.

The rest of the gang rarely saw Josh. The last time that they had all been in the same room was when the Beary-the-Bear-Bear incident went down months prior. He wasn't really on good terms with one-sixth of his niece's motley crew, but he had enough respect for the girls in his life to proceed with kindness. Farkle and Isadora were great company to keep. Lucas was a little rough around the edges, but he was virtually untouchable, so Josh treated him as an equal. Zay, on the other hand, made everything so much more complicated.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Isaiah Babineaux smirked, earning a nudge from Lucas. His words were meant to be heard as a joke, but it only added to the awkward tension that arose. "What? I'm kidding. It's really nice to see you again, Matthews. I haven't seen you around in a minute."

"Babineaux," Josh acknowledged, releasing his grip on the blonde's hand before stealing a stool from a nearby table to place next to his favorite pair of geniuses. He felt a lot more comfortable sitting next to them than Zay and Lucas. Farkle and Isadora were indifferent to his budding relationship with their beloved friend. They cared more about Maya's happiness than anything else. "It's been a while. How've you been?"

"Tremendous. What about you?"

"Well, I've been better."

After getting that out of the way, the boys decided to keep to themselves, hoping to limit conversation. Contrary to popular beliefs, Zay liked Josh. Joshua Matthews was a wholesome guy, a business major of all things, someone his family and friends could depend on regardless of the circumstance. Zay knew that he was harmless, but he couldn't get over the influence he had over Maya's life. He understood that they were bound to explore their relationship in time, but that didn't mean now.

From his perspective, anyone could see how easily Maya allowed herself to be blinded by love. Even though Josh and Maya claimed to be just friends, that wasn't a sure thing. Maya refused to give any other boy a chance and was reluctant to consider anyone below the high rankings of her golden boy from Philadelphia. That bothered Zay to no end. Josh started college, and they were still in high school. Maya deserved an even playing field, and more importantly, an array of options. In the beginning, Zay couldn't put a finger on why he cared so much, but then it hit him. He liked Maya. He liked her a lot. It was a damn shame.

Ignoring the silence between them, Riley and Maya met each other halfway. They were better together than they were apart. Maya hoped that their relationship could withstand anything and everything that life threw their way.

"Riley," Maya began, interlocking eyes with her best friend as they held each other's forearms. Her eyes scanned the bakery for any unwelcome guests. Topanga's was crowded, like always, but all of the regulars could be trusted. "You need to sit down."

"What's going on?" Riley asked, retreating back to her seat as Zay excused himself to purchase a new tray of curly fries. "Why did you bring Josh? You never told me that you guys started hanging out again."

"It's all pretty new," Josh inserted, not wanting all of the responsibility to fall on Maya's shoulders. "We've only been spending time together for a couple of weeks."

"So he's the reason you haven't been coming to the bakery lately?" Lucas questioned, directing his attention the blonde beauty before taking a long sip of the strawberry banana smoothie he bought for his girlfriend. "See, Riles, everything is okay. At least we know she's in good hands."

"So are you guys _dating_ now?" Riley asked, slightly unnerved by the idea. It wasn't that she didn't support them—she _did_ —but she knew for a fact that her best friend wouldn't keep this big of a secret from her. It was news to her that they had been hanging out recently.

"Well, not exactly," Maya answered, looking up at her partner in crime. Josh and Maya interlocked eyes for a brief moment, and then she opened her mouth to explain: "We're friends, I think. He's been really supportive lately, and that's honestly all I need right now.

"That still doesn't explain anything, peaches," Riley sighed, pressing an index finger to her right temple. This was beginning to stress her out, and she didn't even know why. It wasn't like Maya to dance around the subject. She was blunt, brutally honest and she surely didn't stall. "Why do you need support from Josh of _all_ people? I mean, we're here for you."

"I know that you guys will _always_ be there to support me," Maya said, her heart nearly beating out of her chest. "That's why I chose to tell you sooner instead of later."

"Tell us what?" Farkle asked, suddenly interested in the conversation. Throughout the entire ordeal, Farkle and Isadora sat still and pretty, silently observing the couple. Josh and Maya were withholding important information. Farkle understood that much.

"It's kind of a long story," Maya explained, taking a deep breath. "I want to begin by saying that I love and appreciate all of you. You guys have made my life so much better just by being in it. That's why this is _so_ hard for me. What I'm going to tell you is huge. It's life changing, and I can hardly wrap my head around it. What I'm trying to say is that…well."

"You're pregnant?" Isadora said, nodding her head sympathetically as if she had already known for quite some time. Her blunt statement earned a laugh from Riley, but it seemed as though everyone else took her words quite literally. Lucas sat with his mouth agape, Zay dropped his tray of curly fries in shock, and Farkle's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "I mean, all of the signs are there...and you _did_ bring your plutonic hunk-of-a-man for what you called _moral support_. Please correct me if I'm wrong."

"Where did _that_ come from?" Riley asked, looking at the young genius as if she had grown an extra head. "There is _no_ way she could be pregnant. We're kids—and Maya's a _virgin_ —for crying out loud!"

Maya flinched, and suddenly the entire group felt very uncomfortable. They had seen the signs, of course, but no one expected this. If Maya Hart was, indeed, pregnant, she had some serious explaining to do.

"I calculated all of the possibilities in my head," Smackle shrugged, turning to her beloved. She placed a hand on Farkle's thigh and gave it a hard squeeze. "It's the only explanation that makes sense."

"Maya?" Lucas spat, his eyes shooting daggers between the blonde beauty and her male accomplice. "Is it true? Are you...?"

"Pregnant?" Zay asked, finishing his best friend's sentence. He nipped and chewed at the fleshy lining of his cheeks. It couldn't be true. He didn't want it to be true. The mere thought of Josh having his way with her—a high school girl—made his heart sink. All Zay wanted was a chance.

"Smackle's right," Maya confessed with her eyes closed, facing the silence that possessed the group. "I _am_ pregnant. I found out a couple of weeks ago. Me and Josh—we've been trying to get the hang of things—it's been really hard. I'm sorry, guys. I know this changes everything."

"Congratulations, Maya," Farkle said after a moment, breaking the silence. "The circumstances aren't ideal, but I know that you'll be an amazing mom. We're behind you one hundred percent. Right, guys?"

"Of course," Lucas agreed. Zay and Isadora nodded shortly after. Their quiet support meant the world to Maya. She was forever grateful for their friendship and loyalty.

"Thank you," Maya let out a sigh of relief. The scene was so bittersweet. "I was kind of worried that you guys wouldn't back me on this. I don't know what I would do with out you all…especially you, Riley."

"Yeah," Riley croaked, forcing herself to smile at the blonde before returning her attention to her tattered black converse. "I'm happy for you, Maya. I really am."

"Oof," Zay breathed out, shaking his head at the pair of best friends. He could sense the tension building between the two. He had a feeling that the brunette would reach her breaking point at any given moment.

"Riles, you're obviously holding back," Maya prodded, furrowing her eyebrows. Her exchange seemed so artificial. It wasn't like her at all. "Talk to me."

"You want me to talk to you, Maya?" Riley gasped, suddenly jumping to her feet. "Are you serious right now? I can't believe that you kept this from me for so long. We're best friends. We're supposed to tell each other everything. I genuinely want to be there for you. I want to be able to hold your hand throughout all of this. I love you so much, and you know that, but you lied to me. You lied to me about being sick. You lied to me about your relationship with my uncle. I am _so_ tired of this."

"Where are you going?" Lucas called out after his girlfriend as she began to walk away from their table, leaving all of her belongings behind.

"I am going home," Riley said pointedly, tears prickling at the corners of her large doe eyes. "It's the only place where life makes sense."

With that out in the open, Riley ran and Maya followed.

* * *

"So you're the dad?" Lucas asked as soon as the girls disappeared from the bakery. Josh looked so beat. He felt awful knowing that the conflict that had brewed between his two favorite girls was all his fault. He wasn't emotionally prepared for this moment. Hurricane Matthews threw him through a loop. "Care to explain?"

"It's self-explanatory," Josh sighed. He didn't really feel comfortable with everyone's eyes on him, but he would have to make-do with the situation. "I didn't force her into anything…if that's what you're thinking."

"No," Zay said boldly, standing up from his seat to stand at eye-level with the older boy. "We know that you didn't. That's the thing, man. You could get that girl to do anything for you. All you have to do is say the magic words…someday and long game. Huh. Must be nice."

His voice was dripping with anger, but Josh refused to let his words get to him. He was nineteen, legally a man, and losing it over snap accusations would be the equivalent of child's play. Zay wasn't _his_ friend. He was Maya's.

"Come on, dude, just let it go," Lucas pleaded, suddenly becoming his voice of reason. After everything that they had been through together, it was safe to say that Lucas was the only person who truly understood his best friend's mind. "It's not worth it."

"I can't," Zay stressed, squaring his shoulders. "I want to. You know I don't like drama like that, but I can't. I'm sorry. She deserves more than that, but you know that…don't you, Matthews? I mean, we're freshmen in high school. You're a freshman in college. What's wrong with that picture?"

Of course, Zay didn't stop there. He continued after licking his lips: "She's going to get hurt real bad. School isn't going to be easy…hell, life isn't going to be easy. Imagine what people are going to think. We may be accepting of your someday bullshit, but that's just us. Look, I care about Maya. We all want what's best for her. If you slip up, just know that we'll be here to pick up the pieces."

"And you'll have to deal with me," Lucas added. It was true. If Josh hurt her, Lucas would take action. He wasn't immune to punishment just because of his familial ties.

"My man's as strong as a horse," Zay chimed in, pointing a finger at the texan. "You see, Lucas would do anything—I mean _anything_ —to protect Maya. We're family."

"We didn't intend for things to end up this way," Josh explained. All four teens looked at him expectingly. "I know that I'm older, but that doesn't mean that I took advantage of her. I'm not a bad guy. I've had feelings for Maya probably longer than you guys have known her—with the exception of Farkle, of course—and there's no going back now. Maya made her choice…to be with me _and_ keep the kid. I am going to be in her life regardless of what any of you guys think. I hope that you'll stand with me."

"Always," Farkle declared. "Look after her. Alright?"

"That's the goal," Josh answered, the excruciating pain in his head growing worse and worse with each passing second. "Thank you."

* * *

Just as Maya expected, Riley Matthews sat beneath the bay window, her knees resting against her chest. The window was open, so the blonde entered with ease, taking a seat next to her best friend. Surprisingly, Riley didn't flinch. Her sobs were muffled by the purple butterfly pillow she held to her face.

"Riley, can you please look at me?"

In response, Riley shook her head, retreating deeper into the purple cushion as if it were the only thing that could provide her comfort. "I'm scared, Maya," she confessed after a painful pause. After a while, she removed her face from the small, decorative pillow. Her makeup was smeared all over the place. She felt like a child throwing a tantrum.

"You're scared?" Maya asked rhetorically, placing a hand on her best friend's back. "I'm the one that should be scared. I'm the pregnant one. Not you. Look, I am so sorry that I didn't tell you about all of this sooner. For the longest time, everything was so embarrassing and messy. I didn't want to ruin anything between us. I mean, Josh is your uncle. It would've been awkward to talk about."

"I agree," Riley stammered, wiping away her runny nose with the collar of her floral blouse. "Hearing you talk about having sex with my uncle probably would've made me vomit. I'm not upset about that though. Not really. It's just that you're my best friend in the whole entire world. I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Of this," Riley croaked. "Of change. We're growing up so fast. I thought I wanted this, but I don't. Not anymore. Maya, it's always been you _and_ me. Now you're growing up without me, and I don't know what to do. I'm freaking out because I can't afford to lose you. Not now. Not ever."

"Stop," Maya pleaded, catching a case of her best friend's tears. They were contagious. If only she knew how wrong she was. "You aren't going to lose me. Baby Hart is going to need a cousin—well, _aunt_ —like you in their life."

"Baby _Matthews_ ," Riley corrected, her head in her hands. She wasn't scared of the baby. In fact, she always dreamed of having little cousins one day.

"Okay, fine," Maya sighed, giving in. "Baby Matthews needs someone like you in their life. You're my family, Riley. The baby isn't going to change that. There isn't a damn thing in this world that can. But seriously, I love you. I love you to Pluto and back. We are getting older, but that doesn't change anything between you and me. We're in this together."

"Ring power?" Riley sniffled, their tears yet to cease.

"Thunder."

"Lighting."

 _ **Forever.**_

* * *

 **Additional Author's Note:** I am missing a few chapters of NC from my archive, so the next one will be a tad different than the original.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Northern Constellations**_

 **Summary:** Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they explore the wonders and woes of young parenthood. Joshaya. Post-S3.

 **Author's Note:** You guys are freaking amazing. I know what it feels like to love a story that will never get another update. I'm sorry I put you all through that. I started writing NC because it was something that I, myself, would love to read.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

"This is truly a sight to behold," Shawn Hunter mumbled under his breath, taking note of the weeping teenager draped over the kitchen island. Maneuvering his way through a never-ending labyrinth of loose cords and chargers, thirty-something year old man caught a better glimpse of the cause of his step-daughter's tears: her laptop.

As soon as the end credits rolled, tears began to whelp at the corners of the young woman's eyes. Even though The Red Planet Diaries finale premiered months ago, she couldn't accept that it was over. Riley and Maya spent nearly a decade of their lives intertwined with The Red Planet Diaries. The show was something that they grew up with, and just like that, it was cut short.

"Maya, it's four o'clock in the morning," Shawn sighed, reaching into one of the cupboards to retrieve a medium sized mug. Afterwards, he dug a hand into a small plastic bin to choose a K-Cup at random. "Did you get any sleep at all last night?"

"Nope," Maya shot back, raising her head from the countertop. Her eyes were red and bloodshot. It was obvious that she had been crying. "I couldn't fall asleep. I tried, but what's the point? Mom's coming home in a couple of hours, and this stupid show is over."

"For starters, that show sucks," Shawn laughed, waiting for the coffee maker to turn on. "I thought you were excited for your mom to come back. You said it yourself: the sooner the better. How many weeks along are you now? Like fourteen?"

"Too many weeks," Maya exasperated, finally fixing her posture. She was about fifteen weeks now, almost halfway through her entire pregnancy, and she was absolutely mortified. Her small stature was a blessing, and she didn't seem to pop just yet, but she knew that it was coming. "Almost fifteen, I think."

"And I _was_ excited," she continued, stretching her arms above her head. She stopped as soon as she heard the first pop. It was so satisfying. "But then I realized that this is literally going to ruin her. I basically dug all of our graves. At least we'll be buried together. Sad, right?

"Your life, your choice," Shawn shrugged. In his heart, he felt as though he probably should've spilled the beans earlier to prepare his wife for her first moment alone with Maya, but he couldn't do anything about it now. "I just want you to hear me out when I say this: your mom loves you, Maya. You're right, this is probably going to upset her. But—see, there's always a bit—at the end of the day, you're still her daughter and nothing will change that. So don't sweat it, kid."

"Well, I hope you're right," Maya thought out loud, shutting down her laptop. She slid it off of the table and into a case to make room and clear the island. When she finished cleaning up a bit, she couldn't help but yawn. She was incredibly tired, and she knew that she should have caught a couple of hours of sleep instead of wasting away her time by fruitless binge watching. Maya hoped that tonight she could be able to dream. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a snore coming from the living room. Yeah, she thought, Joshua Matthews was a lucky bastard.

* * *

"Morning _again_ , Maya," Shawn greeted nearly two hours later, dressed head-to-toe in a very suave manner. He waved at her, hoping for some type of response. "Holy, wow, that top actually makes you look pregnant."

Those were the first words that came to mind, and they seemed to push her buttons. Maya jabbed her fork onto her plate of scrambled eggs and let out a breath. She had never really been too self-conscious of her weight, but his comment definitely got a rise out of her. While her arms and legs were as slim as ever, her breath and abdomen were not. She didn't look _super_ pregnant, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was with child.

"Gee, thanks," Maya frowned, watching as the middle-aged man searched through the refrigerator in search of something other than coffee to drink. Shortly after their brief encounter at four, Maya tried to fall asleep on the couch, but her attempt was made in vain. Josh was notorious for snoring. If Maya could change anything about him, it would be that. "I didn't notice."

"Hey, did you finish all of the orange juice?" Shawn asked, scratching his forehead with one hand and pushing past soda cans with the other. "I thought I bought some the other day, but I could be wrong."

Maya took hold of her fork once again, shoveling the remaining bit of lukewarm eggs into her mouth. When she finished, she got up from her seat on the couch and dropped her plate into the sink, her eyes grazing upon the paper carton placed atop the counter right next to the coffee maker.

"Found it," Maya yawned, taking the carton into her hands. She set it on the middle of the island. "Knock yourself out. Eh, it's pretty warm though. I forgot to put it back."

"Pulling a clear glass cup from the drying rack, Shawn let out a sigh of relief. He filled the cup to the brim, almost allowing it to pour over the edge, and gulped down his drink in seconds. Warm orange juice wasn't that bad…but he definitely preferred it cold.

"I left some eggs in the microwave," Maya added, resting her elbows against the counter. She was wearing nothing more than a pair of spandex shorts and the very _John Adams High School Class of 2016_ shirt that led Shawn to believe that Maya was, indeed, in cahoots with the youngest Matthews sibling.

"Huh," Shawn huffed, reaching over to open the microwave with the press of a button. Shawn was shocked, after all, Maya was an extraordinarily bad cook. She could hardly toast a single slice of bread without burning it to a crisp—it happened once and she never tried it again—so this was new. "You actually cooked something?"

"Surprised much? Yeah, me too," Maya laughed, resting a cheek on her hand. Her newfound cooking abilities were amateur at the most, but they were enough for her to get by. For nearly a decade, she sustained off of family meals at her best friend's apartment, microwaveable dinners and late night leftovers from the diner. "You know, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this _housewife_ stuff. You've taught me well. First burnt toast, now _edible_ eggs? Man, I'm good."

"Making breakfast doesn't make you a housewife," Shawn chuckled, placing his glass in the sink. "But if it makes you feel any better, I'm proud. Your mom is going to be ecstatic to know that you're actually trying."

"It's practice," Maya shrugged. "I need to be self-sufficient. If I want to be an okay parent, I have to learn how to take care of myself. I feel like that's the first step."

"That's a very mature way of thinking," Shawn complimented, nodding in the blonde's direction. The past few weeks had been rough, but they made it work. Even though her condition seemed to be new and frustrating at times, Shawn was a great help. She was glad to have someone like him in her life's "What's next? You're going to start turning in your math homework on time?"

"Well," Maya said, scrunching her nose in disgust. Academics had never been her forte, but she tried _sometimes_. The only classes she genuinely struggled in were geometry and earth science. If it were up to her, she wouldn't bother with either. "That might be pushing it."

"Alright," Shawn teased. "You should probably wake up your _pretend husband_ before your mother's flight gets in. Can't have him here for that."

Maya laughed. It was short and breathy, showing no particular bias to his joke. Today was the beginning of the end. Her mother—after being kept in the dark for so long— would finally be brought into the light. She felt as though she had signed away her happiness for an earful from her mother.

"Right," Maya said, pushing herself off of the island. It wasn't uncommon for Joshua Matthews to stay the night after spending so much time away from Maya and their unborn child. After engaging in yet another heart-to-heart, both men settled upon an agreement. Josh vowed, for what seemed to be the twentieth time, vowed that he would be there for Maya. Shawn believed him. Shawn saw no fault in Josh hanging around his daughter, but there were boundaries. Josh knew where and where not to go. They were able to coexist well.

Maya walked over to the couch, her bare feet gliding across the soft, carpeted floor. After vacuuming the entire living room the night before, everything _felt_ better. Peaking over the back of the sofa, Maya caught a glimpse of the unconscious brunette. She loved moments like these. With finals coming up and a baby on the way, Josh was a busy man. He tried to balance his personal and academic lives equally, but it wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. He was emotionally repressive. As much as he would hate to admit it, he wanted nothing more than to take a trip home. The thought of his parents discovering his somewhat _double_ life made him nauseous. They deserved to know too.

"Josh," Maya called, extending her arm downwards to give him a shove. Fortunately, he was an incredibly light sleeper, so she knew that it wouldn't take much to get him up and going. Josh groaned, rolling over on his side to face the opposite direction. He regained consciousness almost instantly, but acted as if he didn't with the hope of getting a few more minutes of shut eye.

"Get up," Maya pushed, well-aware of his morning routine. He naturally assumed that if he didn't react, she would go away. He was wrong, of course. "Please. Shawn and I have to pick up my mom from JFK and you have a class."

"I know," Josh said, burying his face into one of the pillows provided to him the previous night. "I'm up, don't worry about it."

"Your eyes are closed," Maya argued, leaning over the couch cushions to get a better view of her _friend_. They weren't exactly friends or lovers, so the lesser title would have to do for now. Maya hoped that they'd get everything straightened out in time.

Maya nudged him once more before giving it. She knew that then and there she would have to take a more drastic route. Dipping her head into the space between them, she bared her teeth and sought out a fleshy opening on his neck to bite down on. As soon as she bit into his neck, Josh shot up, his hands searching for the irritated, wet spot. It didn't hurt, but the notion was definitely bothersome.

"Maya," Josh whined in an accusatory tone. "Did you just bite me?"

"Maybe," Maya shrugged, pushing herself off of the couch. Her face felt a bit flushed but aside from that, she felt fine. She lived for moments like these. "Maybe not. But that's not the point. What matters is that you're awake now. You're welcome."

"Yeah, _thanks_ ," Josh sighed, swinging his legs off of the side of the couch. Sleeping in the living room wasn't as luxurious as spending the night in the privacy of his own dorm but it was worth it. He enjoyed Maya's company. "You know, for a minute, I actually thought you were going to kiss me. Now that would've been romantic."

"You're getting a little cocky, boing," Maya remarked, raising an eyebrow at the brunette. It wasn't as if she didn't want to kiss him... she did. She wanted to kiss Joshua Matthews breathless, but she refused to make the first move. "Why would I kiss you?"

"I don't know," Josh yawned into his sleeve, standing to clean up after himself. Almost robotically, he folded the couch cover followed by the blonde's plush throw, not forgetting to gather all of the stray pillows sprawled out across the floor before stuffing everything into the storage ottoman. "It's cute, happens in movies all the time in disney and rom-coms."

Shawn cleared his throat, interrupting the scene unraveling in his living room. Josh and Maya were definitely an interesting to observe but they didn't have any time to waste. "Well, good morning to you, _sleeping beauty_."

"I knew it," Josh sighed, pretending to swoon in the midst of the older man. He placed a hand to his chest as if he were breathless and shook his head. "My Prince Charming came to sweep me off of my feet. Unlike you. You suck."

"You're such an idiot," Maya chuckled softly, rolling her eyes in response to his joke. As a child, she proudly skipped over the damsel in distress phase her best friend obsessed over during their elementary years. Princesses, Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty seemed to be so out-of-reach then.

"It's always good to see you, man," Shawn continued, flashing a smile at the two. "I didn't catch you last night. You were already crashed on the couch when I came home."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Josh apologized, scratching at the nape of his neck with his fingertips. "I tried to stay up with Maya but, she doesn't sleep. Energy drinks can only carry me so far."

"You're welcome here whenever," Shawn stated nonchalantly, turning on his heels to retrieve his silver watch from the counter. "Well, for now. I'm not sure if my wife will be as accepting as I've been. But we'll keep you updated."

"Even if she isn't," Maya interjected as Shawn disappeared into one of the hallways. "We'll figure something out. I mean, we're in this..."

"Together?"

"Yeah, _that_."

"Okay, but your mom likes me," Josh insisted, reaching a hand into his book bag to pull out the spare toothbrush he kept in case of last minute sleepovers. He made his way to the bathroom with the younger girl following shortly behind. She leaned her side against the doorway as he turned on the faucet.

"My mom only likes you because of what you stand for," Maya pointed out, crossing her arms. She bit down on her bottom lip and watched him intently. Joshua Matthews was very particular about his dental hygiene. It was one of the many random things she picked up on during their moments of domestic bliss. He thoroughly brushed, _twice_ , and then flossed, _twice_ , and gargled with any brand of mouthwash he could get a hand on. "She thinks you're safe and responsible... an _adult_. I never mentioned that I had a thing for you, so she's completely out of the loop."

"I guess I always imagined you being close with your mom," Josh said once he finished his morning routine. He left the restroom to pack his personal belongings to prepare for departure. "You know my sister?"

"Morgan?"

"The one and only," Josh answered with a laugh. "She literally tells my mom everything. When I was in middle school, she would hit my mom up and they'd talk about the most unimportant shit all of the time—like what color underwear she should wear—it was weird."

"My mom and I _are_ close," Maya tried to explain, nervously picking at her cuticles. "Our relationship is a little different though. We aren't like Riley and Topanga or Morgan and your mom. Am I making any sense?"

"Yeah," Josh nodded, slinging the straps of his bag over his shoulders. He knew that Maya and Katy were close in their own way. They nurtured a special connection that no man—Shawn included—could ever interfere with. "I get what you're saying, but hey I'm about to head out. I can step out any time if you need me. College, remember? Text me whenever."

"Yeah, sure," Maya nodded, accompanying him to the door. She never called, but she appreciated the sentiment.

"See you later, gorgeous," Josh smiled. It was faint but still there. "Good luck with your mom."

"Thanks."

He was gone.

* * *

By the time Shawn and Maya arrived at the airport, Maya was already on the verge of tears. It wasn't because of anything her step-father said or because she was afraid of her mother. She was certain that Katy would forgive her in time. Katy Hunter was many things but heartless was not one of them.

"What time is it? Maya asked, growing impatient. She leaned over Shawn's shoulder to peer down at his cellphone. After receiving a questionable text from one of the girls in Thor's triangle, she decided to leave hers at home because she needed a break from high school drama.

"It's still 7:43, Maya," Shawn laughed, tilting his phone in the girl's direction to provide her a a better view of the time bar. Shawn and Maya sat inside of the airport, adjacent to the baggage claim conveyer belt assigned to Southwest's terminals. Katy's flight landed a little over ten minutes ago and Maya was growing antsy. Shawn, on the other hand, tried his best to remain as calm as the sea. He held himself with confidence despite sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a ticking time bomb. "You asked me like two minutes ago."

Maya didn't respond. So they waited and waited, watching as random travelers passed by until they saw a bumbling blonde chatting animatedly with an elderly woman that reminded Maya of her grandmother. After a moment, she realized it _was_ her grandmother. In a few swift motions, the blonde woman tightened her grip on her luggage and ran to greet her family. Shawn shot up at an instant, wrapping his arms around his wife's slim waist. Their reunion was short and sweet. After a quick peck, Katy turned to her only child, surprised to be greeted with watery eyes.

"Mom," Maya attempted to smile through her tears. She mentally face palmed herself for allowing her emotions to get the best of her. Katy raised an eyebrow at her daughter. It was all so strange. Katy could usually read Maya fairly well but today, she couldn't pinpoint the problem. "Welcome back. I missed you _so_ much."

"It feels good to be back, baby girl," Katy answered truthfully, opening her arms to pull her daughter into an embrace. She held Maya close, taking note of the peculiar hardness protruding from her stomach. Something wasn't quite right. Katy was left to wonder. "You couldn't have missed me that much."

"I did," Maya sniffled, pressing her face deeper into her mother's shoulder. She opted out of wearing makeup today so it wouldn't run. She was tired of looking like a clown. "I have _so much_ to tell you."

"Then I'm all ears," Katy reassured with a tone only a mother would know. Maya couldn't help but feel chills creep down her spine when the older blonde whispered: "We'll talk about _it_ when we get home."

* * *

Maya felt trapped. The car ride home made it hard for her to breathe. She could feel her hands shake and hear the faint chattering of her teeth over the sound of traffic. When she was in the sixth grade, her peers decided to vote her as the most fearless person in their grade level. Oh how the tables have turned. She was terrified now. Katy and Angela were oblivious. They shared anecdotes about their adventures on the west coast, laughed and even discussed future dinner plans. Maya didn't want to ruin the normalcy that they had already established on the short trip.

"Hey, babe," Shawn began, flipping on his signal lights before opening his mouth to continue. "You want anything from the bakery? Maya and I were talking about grabbing breakfast earlier but she insisted on getting to the airport early.

"Sure, surprise me," Katy answered, sending a teasing glance in her husband's direction. Before he pulled into a vacant spot in front of the building, the older blonde rolled her eyes. "You know what I like."

"Whatever," Shawn chuckled before addressing the two women in the backseat. "Maya? Ms. Angela? Do you guys know what you want yet?"

"I'm not that hungry anymore," Maya said, shaking her head. Her nerves cancelled her appetite. "A blueberry muffin would be nice though. Gammy?"

"Well, I don't really know what's on the menu," Angela Clutterbucket sighed, readjusting the crotchet shaw draped over shoulders.

"Yes, you do," Katy argued in a hushed tone. "You've been here over a dozen times. This is the bakery I worked at—well, _still_ work at—so I would know."

"I'm not as young as I used to be, Katherine," the older woman brought forth with a shrug. "I don't even remember my own daughter's birthday."

"But you remember Maya's?" Katy retorted, suppressing a pout. "Thanks, mom. I can _really_ feel the love. Always have."

"Maya's special," Angela offered with a shrug, glancing at her petite granddaughter. The young blonde sat with her body leaned up against door, arms crossed over her chest.

"That, she is," Shawn added under his breath before his wife could think of a response. He lived with three generations of headstrong women, so he learned how to save an argument very early on. "Why don't you just come inside with me to check out what they have? Sometimes they have samples."

"Yeah," Angela agreed, nodding. "I think I'll take you up on that offer."

* * *

"Okay, spill," Katy breathed out, unbuckling her seatbelt as soon as her mother and husband were out of view.

"Spill _what_?"

"Honey," Katy began, readjusting herself in the passenger seat. She sat with her back facing the glovebox. It was uncomfortable, of course, but she wanted to get a better view of her daughter. "You are an extension of me. I know when something's bothering you. So, spill."

"I mean, yeah, there _is_ something bothering me," Maya stalled, picking at her cuticles once more. It was a nervous habit. Unfortunately, her mother picked up on that too. "But it can wait, I promise."

"I think I've waited long enough," Katy pushed. She wasn't quite sure what to expect, but she was dying to know. "Alright, I'm done. Give me your pinky."

"Mom, what in the..."

"Maya, I am your mother. When I say give me your pinky, I'm telling you to give me your pinky. It's not a suggestion."

"Fine," Maya obliged, holding out her pinky. Their fingers intertwined, and Maya swore that she could hear her own heart break.

"By doing this, I promise that I will not judge you _too_ harshly and that I will hear you out with an open mind. I love you, Maya. I missed you more than anyone, and I want you to feel comfortable with talking to me about anything. This is, by far, the longest we've ever been apart. I wanna know what's up."

"You promise?" Maya asked. She was conflicted. She felt trapped again. Her mother obviously wouldn't let this go, so she would have to entertain her.

"I do. Now _spill_ ," Katy promised, giving her daughter's finger a final shake before letting go.

This was it. The moment of truth.

"I told you a little bit about what went down at the ski lodge, but I didn't tell you everything," Maya began, thinking of all of the right words to say. She wanted to lessen the blow—no, she needed to—because their relationship was on the line. "Riley and Lucas got together, and we learned a thing or two about growing up and being on our own, but for me, the highlight of the trip was seeing Josh."

"Josh?" Katy teased, suddenly intrigued. "Now where have I heard that name before?"

"Matthews, Mom," Maya explained, hoping that she would remember. "Riley's uncle. You've met him before. I think you called him a..."

"A man," Katy answered for her. She remembered Josh Matthews. He was handsome, sure, but he was a little too mature for her daughter. Maya was still a child. "A very responsible one, at that. What happened with him at the ski lodge?"

"Nothing, mom. We just talked for a really long time, and eventually came to an agreement that we'll have our someday."

"And someday means?"

"It means that a relationship isn't out of the picture. We just have to wait—and live our lives the way we want to—and maybe one day, if fate wills it, we'll be together when we're older."

"Is that what this is all about? You have a boyfriend? Sweetheart, you don't have to feel bad about _not_ telling me that. I mean, he _is_ older than you, but I can deal with that."

"No, mom, he isn't my boyfriend."

"Then what's going on?" Katy asked.

"I just..."

"You just _what_ , Maya?"

"I'm sorry, mom," Maya apologized her voice cracking. "Me and Josh...Josh and I...We made this really stupid decision and now we're paying for it, I guess."

"Oh my God, Shawn let you elope. Now that would be hilarious. He's a sucker for love now, you know."

"No, mom. I'm pregnant."

"No," Katy shook her head in denial. She couldn't picture her baby having a baby. This had to be a huge joke. It had to be. "No, you aren't."

"I am _so_ sorry."

Katy still couldn't believe it. "Just drop it for now," she exhaled deeply, attempting to calm herself down. "We'll talk about it when we get home."

And honestly Maya didn't even want to go home. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

 **Additional Author's Note:** That was a quick update, I know. This chapter was pretty short. I decided to leave out my signature style of prose and dialogue in the final scene between Maya and Katy. It was a really fast discussion. I wanted to write it that way.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Northern Constellations**_

 **Summary:** Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they discover the wonders and woes of young parenthood. Joshaya. Post-S3.

 **Author's Note:** Surprise! I've been back at school for a few weeks now, and my university is still playing a dangerous game of catch up because we missed about a month of instructional time. I am so sorry for the delay. Everything is just now starting to mellow out.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

"You know, I really want this kid to be a boy," Mayasaid nearly a week later. She looked down at her bowl of soggy cereal and frowned. "I don't think I've ever wanted anything more. I know for a fact that I could nothandle a daughter if she turned out to be just like me, but I guess we'll find out today. Clutterbucket women are cursed."

"Oh come on," Riley rolled her eyes, flipping through a puppy-eared book of baby names. "You're acting like having a daughter would be the end of the world. I personally feel like a daughter would suit you. When we were younger, I always pictured us having kids at the same time. I wanted us both to have daughters so that they could be best friends too. I still want that. So maybe..."

"Absolutely not," Maya interjected, shaking her head in disapproval. Riley was being as ridiculous as always. "You definitely do not want to have a kid at fifteen, Riley. Your parents would kill you, and then they'd kill me for planting the idea in your head."

"Maya," Riley pleaded, fighting the urge to laugh at the horrified expression plastered on the blonde's face. "You didn't let me finish. I was just trying to say that even though our kids won't be close in age, I still want them to be in each other's lives somehow. If you have a daughter now, and I have a daughter later, maybe _your_ daughter can mentor _my_ daughter."

"Well we can only hope that they'll be in each other's lives someday," Maya thought aloud, getting up from her seat at the Matthews' dinner table to wash her dish. She spilled the rest of the milk into the drain, and began to clean. "It's crazy to think about how my son and your imaginary daughter will be family. Second cousins?"

"Something like that," Riley shrugged, disappointed by the lack of acknowledgement of her grand scheme. It made sense, and a miniature Maya seemed so much more appealing than a miniature Josh. The men in her family outnumbered the women, and she would kill for another Matthews girl. "Do you have any names in mind?"

"Yeah," Maya answered truthfully, drying on one of the hand towels draped over the counter. It was already soaked, and it made her feel icky. She set it back down and went back to her seat across from her best friend. "But are they good names? Not really."

"Let me hear them," Riley said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at the older girl. Before getting pregnant, Maya rarely spoke of children and the future. Riley had always been the one that beamed over weddings and babies. She had it all figured out or so she thought.

"Well Stone," Maya trailed off, feeling a tad bit uncertain. Her top choice was a bit rough around the edges. It was uncommon, and she liked that. She tried asking herself time and time again: who in the hell would name their baby Stone? Her.

"Stone?" Maya repeated before chugging down the rest of her chocolate milk. She wiped away her milk mustache and proceeded to speak: "That sounds kinda...nice. Where did it come from?"

Maya gasped. Was Riley serious? Probably. They hardly listened to the same music anyways. "The Rolling Stones, Riley," Maya explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Josh and I love the Stones. They're one of my all-time favorite bands."

"Okay, peaches," Riley complimented, taking note of the name. "It's not that bad. It has meaning. What other names do you like?"

Maya paused in deep thought. She originally had a list of over ten names, but Josh narrowed it back down to three: Stone, Sidney and Manson. She wanted her kid to have a unique name because Joshua Gabriel and Maya Penelope were just _so_ typical.

"I thought about Sidney for a while," Maya added with a shrug. "But only because Sidney reminds me of Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols."

"Pause," Riley said, stopping the blonde from continuing her list. "Wasn't Sid Vicious the rockstar guy who stabbed his girlfriend to death at that spooky hotel in Chelsea?"

"Allegedly stabbed," Maya inserted, pointing a finger in the younger girl's direction. "But yes, that's the one."

"Yeah, no," Riley rejected, feeling bold enough to shoot her best friend down. "I think I'm gonna veto it. Sidney _is_ cute—I'll give you that—but do you really want a little Sid running around?"

"Duly noted," Maya said, popping her knuckles. She still liked the name Sidney but not as much as Stone. "And the last name on my list is Manson. Josh _really_ likes that one."

"What?" Riley screeched, closing the large name book with a thud. She looked at the other girl questioningly. Stone was alright—Sidney too—but Manson? "No, ma'am. This is where I put my foot down."

"But why?" Maya asked. She couldn't help but laugh at her best friend's overdramatic reaction. "Manson sounds awesome. Don't you think?"

"Charles Manson was a serial killer, Maya," Riley argued, earning a smirk from Maya. They had spent hours and hours of their lives watching true crime documentaries about serial killers and cults after binge watching the first seven seasons of American Horror Story during winter break. After The Red Planet Diaries finale, they had to find something to hold them over during times of boredom. "Why would you do that to your baby?"

"Do you have any better names in mind, Riley _Lawrence_ Matthews? What would you name your kid? Rainbow? Sunflower? _Serenity_?" Maya poked fun. Riley's own middle name was brought into conversation only sparingly. It was her mother's maiden name. Riley loved it, but it wasn't very soft.

"First of all," Riley stated matter-o-factly. "Serenity is such a pretty name. I might just have to add that to my list. Second of all, you know what I like, Maya. If I have a girl, I want to name her Penelope, Eleanor or Corinne. If I have a boy, it's Elliot. Take it or leave it."

Maya made a gagging sound with her throat and looked at her best friend in disgust. It wasn't much of a secret that Maya hated her name. She could stomach Maya because she had been raised primarily in a spanish speaking community, and it surely had its perks. But Penelope? Katy really must've hated her.

"I am begging you to take Penelope off of your list right now," Maya said. "It is the most atrocious name in existence. Doesn't it remind you of that one movie starring that Wednesday Addams chick? You know the one where the girl has a pig nose?"

"Says the girl who wants to name her son after Charles Manson," Riley retorted, pointing an accusatory finger at the blonde. "Consider it even, peaches. But enough about me…hypothetically speaking, let's say you end up having a girl, what would you name her?"

"I told you, Riley," Maya argued. "I am _not_ having a girl."

"Fine, then the next baby in like ten years."

"I don't know," Maya answered truthfully. "I've never really put much thought into it. I kind of like Angelina because it reminds me of my grandma, but I think Shawn's had one too many Angel-anythings in his life. Remember his ex-girlfriend? Angela?"

"I remember her. She was pretty."

"I also kind of like Nathalie...like Natalie but with an 'h' somewhere in between," Maya added.

"I love it," Riley swooned. "See! normal names are cute too. I was a little worried that you'd want to name your daughter Stevie or something."

"Was that a Stevie Nicks reference?" Maya grinned. Fleetwood Mac was the only musical group that both Riley and Maya could ever agree on. Riley _loved_ Dreams.

"Maybe it was," Riley shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't."

"You are such a dork, Riles."

"Correction: I'm _your_ dork."

* * *

Three years ago, Joshua Matthews wouldn't have imagined himself as a father-to-be. He wanted to get married and have children of his own after college. Getting Maya pregnant so soon hadn't been a part of his plan. He was only nineteen, and she was just a teenager herself. She deserved better. When he was sixteen, he didn't have to worry about prenatal appointments, dirty diapers and fear of the wandering eye. Maya did, and he couldn't help but feel guilty sometimes.

"You didn't have to come," Maya sighed, flipping mindless through one of the puppy-eared fashion magazines that littered the coffee table in front of them. "You're missing out on a calc lecture right about now and we both know that you _need_ that lecture."

"And miss out on this?" Josh asked, gesturing to the blonde's slightly protruding abdomen. "I wouldn't miss this appointment for the world, Maya. I think our baby is a lot more important than notes on polynomials or some shit."

"Ditto," Maya huffed, tossing her magazine to the open seat next to her. She really didn't want to make a scene in such a public area, but her nerves were killing on her. She felt like she was about to spontaneously combust.

"I'm actually pretty excited," Josh said softly. As a result of being the youngest of not only his siblings but his close group of friends as well, he had become incredibly observant. He swore up and down that he knew Maya Hart better than she knew herself. Her emotions were so easy for him to decipher. She was moments away from snapping. In truth, he hadn't been too keen on the idea of becoming a father so young, but he _was_ excited. At the end of the day, the girl of his dreams was carrying a little life that they had created together, and in time that little life will turn into a little person. His little person.

"Don't get me wrong," Maya gulped, clutching onto her bag with a titan's grip. "I'm excited too, but it's much scarier when you're the pregnant one, Matthews. I don't even feel like myself anymore, and now this _thing_ inside of me is about to take on a whole new identity."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Is _it_ not?" Maya argued. She was exaggerating, of course, and he knew that. Josh didn't doubt for a second that Maya had already grown attached to their child. "Okay but seriously, my mother's intuition is telling me that Baby Matthews is a boy. If Baby Matthews isn't a boy, we're going to have a serious problem."

"Just for that, I want Baby Matthews to be a girl," Josh teased. He truly didn't have a preference. He knew that they would be able to competently raise a child of either sex, but Maya had her doubts. "I can feel it now. Can't you?"

"You can feel it?" Maya scoffed, leaning against the armrest she shared with Josh. "What exactly can you feel? Please elaborate. Baby Matthews is very much a boy. Thank you very much."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Josh said, shutting his eyes for a brief moment. For the very first time, he tried to picture his children: a little girl with long blonde hair and a boy with eyes as blue as the sea.

"Ms. Hart?" A receptionist called from behind the front desk. Both sets of blue eyes shot up. "Alright, honey. Dr. Patel is ready to see you now."

* * *

"Good morning, Ms. Hart," Dr. Patel greeted, entering the observational room wearing a small as bright as her white laboratory coat. She seemed to be about forty-something, significantly older than Dr. Mack, but she emanated the same youthful beauty. "And you must be?"

"Josh Matthews," Josh introduced himself, extending an arm to give her a polite handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Patel."

"You also, Mr. Matthews," Dr. Patel beamed, returning the gesture. She had heard quite a bit about Maya Hart in her lifetime. She had been Jennifer Minkus' go-to OBGYN for over a decade. Farkle had been one of the very first babies she ever delivered as a resident at John-Hopkins.

"Your necklace is really nice," Josh complimented, hoping to engage in small talk. He wondered if such a prestigious doctor such as herself had ever dealt with other young parents. "It brings out your eyes."

In response to his comment, Maya swiftly kicked the back of his calf with the front of her strappy sandals. "What was _that_ for?" Josh asked, turning around.

"Nothing, just sit down already. It was a reflex. Blame your kid."

"You guys are too cute," Dr. Patel cooed, reaching into one of the ceramic jars across from the computer desk to pull out a pair of latex-free gloves. Slowly but surely, she slipped them on with ease. "So how long have you been together?"

"Oh?" Maya let out a nervous laugh, twiddling her thumbs in her lap. She really didn't have an answer. They weren't together. They surely acted like it, but it was a topic that was rarely discussed between the two. "Well.."

"It's only been a few months," Josh answered for her, thinking of something quick on the stop. Their eyes met. Maya looked at him questioningly, but he placed a hand on her knee for reassurance. "But we've known each other for almost ten years."

"I know young love when I see it," Dr. Patel mused. She had always been a hopeless romantic, but she never had much time outside of work to meet anyone on her own. "How are you feeling about Baby Hart? Excited? Anxious? Overwhelmed?"

"Baby Matthews," Josh and Maya corrected in unison. Baby _Hart_ sounded a bit foreign to the both of them.

"Alright," Dr. Patel noted. "Baby Matthews it is. Do you have any particular questions or concerns that you might want to address before we begin?"

"I've been feeling a lot better," Maya replied truthfully. "I don't really feel sick anymore, just bloated. I feel huge, but I know that I'm not quite there yet. My morning sickness is gone, thankfully, but I'm pretty sensitive to just about everything now."

"How have things been at home?"

"Pretty good," the blonde said with a shrug. She didn't want to elaborate on her familial shortcomings to a stranger. "I mean, life isn't perfect but I don't think it ever was to begin with. My parents have been supportive got the most part. I can't complain."

"School?"

"School? It's the same as always. Very little drama."

"I'm glad that you've been fairing well," Dr. Mack expressed, "So, it's safe to say that you haven't been having any issues? No abdominal pain? Vaginal leakage? Bloody discharge? Sorry, Josh, I know you probably don't want to hear all of this but it's standard."

"Oh no," Josh interjected, "I am actually pretty intrigued."

"I'm fine, nothing out of the ordinary to report. If there was, you'd be one of the first to know."

"Great!" Dr. Patel exclaimed. "If you guys don't mind, I would like to run a few tests before we get to the good stuff. Blood work is most definitely optional but highly advised. What do you say?"

"If you guys don't mind, I would like to run a few tests _before_ we get to the good stuff. Blood work is most definitely optional, but highly advised. What do you say?"

"Let's just get this over with," Maya groaned, internally suppressing her sudden urge to whine, kick and scream. She absolutely despised needles and drawing blood, but it was the best option. They were off to a good start.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, with all of her blood work complete and impending results, Maya began to feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. It was finally time for the big reveal.

"Now that I have everything set up, we can get this show on the road. Can you lift your shirt a little more, Ms. Hart? There you go. Fair warning, everyone hates this gel. It's cold, but you'll get used to it. You ready?"

Maya nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be. Josh?"

"Without a doubt."

In that moment, Maya realized that she hated needles and Dr. Mack's transducer want. The very existence of the gadget made her cringe inwardly. She refused to take part in a transvaginal ultrasound with Josh present. She could only image how awkward it would have been then.

"Alright," Dr. Patel breathed, paying close attended to the darkened ultrasound screen. Soon, a faint image appeared, accompanied by an unfamiliar noise. If you listen closely, you can hear your baby's heartbeat. We touched on that on your last appointment, Ms. Hart, but your baby has grown quite a bit since then. The ultrasound is pretty clear, but we could get a better image if you want to.."

"No thank you," Maya cut in, stopping Dr. Patel mid-sentence. "This will suffice."

"Because of me?" Josh questioned, his eyes never leaving the screen. He was _so_ enticed by the small image on display. It was hard to believe that this was his reality.

"It's _always_ because of you," Maya joked in response, grazing the back of her hand against his. Every fell in love with him a little bit more each day. This was her reality, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Now for the moment of truth," Dr. Patel smiled, pausing for emphases. She rolled the tip of the want over the right side of Maya's abdomen and held it in place. The cooling sensation soon faded. "Would you like to know the gender? Some couples prefer waiting, but it's all up to you."

Maya and Josh looked at each other and nodded. The curiosity was eating the older boy alive. Even though he would be happy with either sex, he couldn't wait.

"Definitely so we can _confirm_ that Baby Matthews is, in fact, a boy."

"Whatever, Maya," Josh laughed.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Ms. Hart," Dr. Patel chuckled at their playful banter. "But it looks like you're having a girl. Congratulations."

* * *

"This is all your fault," Maya hypothesized over a plate of gyoza from a hole-in-the-wall japanese express restaurant off of East Houston. "I'm blaming you for the rest of our sorry lives together."

"What did I do?" Josh asked incredulously, taking note of the look of frustration on the young woman's face. She bit into one of the crisp dumplings and frowned.

"I just read an article about how gender is determined by the _male_ parent during conception," Maya said pointedly in between bites. "The fact that we're going to have some little _princess_ is all your fault."

"Sheesh," Josh shook his head, taking a sip of his cola afterward. "I'm just happy that she's healthy, Maya. That's really all that matters to me. I'm not gonna lie, I was getting used to the idea of having a son but only because you were so adamant that Baby M was a boy."

"I'm happy that she's healthy too," Maya agreed, swallowing the last of her portion. "It's not that I _hate_ that we're going to have a daughter. She's ours, Josh. I wouldn't trade that for the world. I'm just scared, you know? I'm scared that I won't be a good enough mother to her. I'm scared that we won't have a good relationship, and I know for a fact that I wouldn't be able to raise her alone the way my mother raised me."

"Who said that you're going to raise her alone?" Josh asked skeptically. He had been there for her since day one. He intended on staying for both Maya and their daughter. Abandoning his family didn't seem like a plausible option.

"No one," Maya shrugged. "It's just something I've thought about. You said it yourself, we're young, and at this point in our lives anything can happen. As nice as it would be, I'm not going to delude myself into thinking that we'll be together forever. You're here now, and I appreciate that, but you might meet someone else somewhere down the line, and me and Baby M will just...exist."

"Have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?"

"No. You've actually been really good to me, Josh."

"Then what's this all about? Your dad? Maya, I can promise you that leaving is the last thing on my mind. I wouldn't do that to you or _our_ daughter. You know me better than anyone else, and you know that the only person I want is you."

"Maybe it's about my dad," Maya said quietly. "Maybe it isn't. I know what it feels like to be this broken little girl, and it would physically pain me if my baby ever felt the same way."

"I can promise you that she won't," Josh said firmly, hoping to convince the blonde. "The difference is that Baby M will come from a happy home. She'll have two parents that love her, and a _huge_ family to fall back on when times get tough. I am determined to make this work. You are one of my greatest blessings in life, Maya Hart. You'd be an idiot to believe otherwise."

"You are one of my greatest blessings in life, Maya Hart," Maya mimicked, her heart starting to race. "Who says stuff like that? Can you just be _direct_ for once? Please?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Do you want to be with me? Like at all? You act like you do, but sometimes I'm not too sure. Oh, and you even told Dr. Patel that we've been together for quite some time, but that was a lie. I'm just so confused."

"Are we not?"

"Not _what_ , Josh?"

"Together? Yeah, at first, I was a little iffy. I really wanted to keep playing a long game because I felt like you'd be so much better off, and then _this_ happened. We started spending time together. We're getting ready to have a baby together. I felt like it was implied that we're more than friends."

"Okay, sure, but you've never told me that much until now."

"Believe it or not, Maya, but I've always kinda known that you were the one for me. You've been a part of my world ever since I caught you digging up all of the peonies in Feeny's garden when we were kids."

"You remember that?"

"I do. I have a tendency to remember important things. You changed my life, you know."

"I was eight," Maya pouted at the memory of her pre-pubescent self elbow deep in dirt and fertilizer. Her first encounter with Joshua Matthews occurred during her very _first_ trip to Philadelphia with her best friend. Maya and Riley had been inseparable at the time and in no time, she became family. "And I honestly had no care in the world. No conscious. I felt no remorse. Nothing. Riley saw the flowers and fell in love with them. So I took matters into my own hands. End of story."

"You wrecked an old man's garden."

"I have no regrets," Maya sighed. It was such a fond memory.

"I know you don't. You were trouble then, and you're trouble now. But you know what? I like that about you. You've never been afraid to follow your heart, and you've really helped me follow mine."

"You know," Maya trailed off, feeling a bit gloomy. "I've been told that I'm a pretty bad influence on people."

"I think you give yourself way too much credit," Josh shook his head. "Maya, I've been waiting to have this conversation for months. Maybe I _shouldn't_ beat around the bush this time. I'll be direct. If that's what you want."

"It is," Maya nodded, fidgeting anxiously in her seat. "You shouldn't. Alright, Matthews, the stage is yours."

"I have so much respect for you," Josh began, taking a deep breath. The topic of their relationship had been especially sensitive. "At first, you were just Riley's friend, but after a couple of visits, you became mine. I never really put much thought into our age difference back then. We were kids. It was all so innocent. So you could only imagine how I felt when I saw you for the first time in _years_ when I spent Christmas with you guys. You grew up, but you weren't quite there yet. Think about it this way I was sixteen _and_ thirteen? You're sixteen now. What would you do if our roles were reversed?"

"I would wait," Maya answered truthfully. "I'd let you live your life and hope that maybe, _just_ maybe everything will fall into place when the time is right."

"You see why I did it?" Josh asked, referencing the infinite number of times he pulled the _three years_ card on her. "I never meant to hurt you _or_ discourage you _or_ push you away. I've always liked you, Maya. Cory knew about my feelings before I could comprehend them myself. My best friend knows. I _even_ told my mom. You know what she told me?"

"No," Maya shook her head. This was the very first time she heard about him telling _anyone_ about his feelings. "What did she say?"

" _Someday_ ," Josh said, clasping his hands together. His palms were sweaty, but he ignored the sensation. "She told me that if we were meant to be, it'll happen... _someday_."

"Oh," Maya laughed. "So that's where it came from, huh? You recycled _someday_ from your mom. Classic."

"It was more of a coincidence," he chuckled, recalling their moment at the Ski Lodge. At the time, he hadn't been thinking of his mother's advice... it all just seemed to flow. "But I guess you could say that...Hey Maya?"

"Yeah, Josh?"

"I really do love you. I hope you know that."

"You _what_ me?"

"I love you, Maya. I don't love you just because you're the mother of my child. I don't love you because I feel obligated to. I love you because I always have. The time we've spent together really put things into perspective for me."

"I don't know what to say."

"I didn't expect you to. I just want you to know."

* * *

 **Additional Author's Note:** The gender of Baby Matthews was revealed. Some really good shit went down in this chapter primarily because Maya is starting to get a little moody. I'm also trying really hard to stay true to everyone's characters. My characterization deserves a good A for effort because they seem like real people at the very least.

 **Chapter Preview:** Maya and Josh finally define their relationship on a trip to Philadelphia, Katy receives an offer she cannot refuse, and the gang's summer vacation kicks off with a bang.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Northern Constellations_**

 **Summary:** Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they discover the wonders and woes of young parenthood. Joshaya. Post-S3.

 **Author's Note:** Baby Matthew's actual name will be revealed in the next few chapters. I've had it planned out for a while. With that being said, many of you might not like it because it isn't particularly common, but it does hold a great meaning for Maya. Can you guess it? Hint: GM The Forgiveness Project. If you can guess it, you can pick out her middle name.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

"Maya— _oh_ Maya!" Cory Matthews beamed, dropping a textbook on to his desk to get her attention. The entire class remained silent. "What did I tell you about sleeping in my class? I know that this is our _last_ day, but I'm not quite done with you all yet."

"I'm just tired, Mr. Matthews," Maya replied, lifting her head from her desk. She was exhausted beyond belief. She had slept for hours on end the previous night, but her body was insatiable. "That's all there is to it."

"But aren't we all?" Mr. Matthews retorted, gesturing to the rest of the class. They were all sitting idly in their seats. It seemed like, for the first time in their academic career, the gang didn't have anything to say.

"Some more than others," Maya argued back. It was true. She felt certain that there wasn't a single soul in the room that understood her pain. It was almost as if her baby drained all of the energy from her body.

"You're only sixteen, Maya," Mr. Matthews chuckled, walking to the front of his desk. He looked at the young girl with sympathy. Adolescence was a funny thing. "These are your golden years. You can do whatever you want, so why would you waste it on sleepless nights and netflix? That brings me back to the lesson: where do _you_ see yourself in ten years?"

"Is that a trick question?" Maya asked, hesitant to respond. She toyed with a mechanical pencil in her lap and shook her head.

"There's no right or wrong answer," Mr. Matthews explained with a shrug. He looked on expectantly. "It's an opinionated question. The entire class shared their thoughts when you were napping. It's your turn now."

"Where do I see myself in ten years?" Maya asked herself, placing a hand on her chest to add emphasis. "Well, you see, in ten years I'll be twenty-six. That's still young enough to be considered a young adult yet old enough to be able to rent a car. Pretty crazy if you ask me."

"Hilarious," Mr. Matthews applauded. He was being sarcastic. Maya knew that much. It was then that she noticed the number ten written across the chalk board. "Those were very real responses, but I'm talking big plans. College? A career? A _family_? What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know," Maya sighed. She sank back into her seat and swore that everyone's eyes were on her. She wondered if they could notice her baby bump. If they did, no one said anything. "The truth is that I just don't know where I'll be in ten years. I don't even know where I'll be tomorrow."

"Peaches," Riley spoke up, her own maternal instincts kicking in. Riley's words were soothing, and Maya was grateful for her presence. "You know what? You're right. We have no idea what fate has in store for us, but it's good to have hope."

"Hope isn't for suckers," Maya tolled her eyes, quoting her much younger self. She did have hope, but sometimes it wasn't enough. "I know."

"You have a very interesting way of seeing things, Maya," Mr. Matthews complimented. He loved viewing the world from different perspectives. That's one of the things that led him to teaching. "Where were you ten years ago? Can you remember?"

"I mean..."

"Just answer the question already!" Farkle Minkus inserted into the conversation before Maya could finish her sentence. Typical, Maya thought to herself. He didn't waste any time getting to the point. Riley turned around to glare at her best male friend causing him to regain his composure. "Sorry. Continue."

"I was six," Maya laughed. "I was a stupid little girl. I drew two-headed stick figures and swore that when I turned sixteen, I would be the next Picasso. Take a good look at me now."

"You're still young," Riley insisted. "Yeah, you've always been a little bit stupid, but we all are. We're kids. We make mistakes. We grow from them."

"The moral of the story is that..." Mr Matthews began before getting cut off abruptly by his own daughter.

"People change," Riley said proudly as the crowd groaned in unison. 'People change people' had come their class mantra. After all, it was the secret of life and the most relevant lesson that Cory Matthews could ever teach to his students.

"There you go," Mr. Matthews agreed. "Ten years can be tricky. Ten years ago, many of you guys were either five or six. I was twenty-six, believe it or not, and my life has changed so much since then. It changes every day, and in ten years, it'll change some notes. People change. Plans change. All you can do is hope for the best and work hard to get what you want. August marks your eleventh year in school, but you'll be in the _tenth_ grade. I don't know what sophomore year has in store for you all. You'll just have to wait and see. It's been an honor to watch all of you grow up. I hope you learned a little something this year. And Maya? I would like to have a word with you after class."

"You got it."

And after a few moments drug on, the bell finally rang.

"You wanted to see me?" Maya asked, walking up to the teacher's desk as soon as the rest of the class dispersed. She felt a bit uncomfortable being in a one-on-one environment with him. It wasn't that _he_ made her uncomfortable. The circumstances were what made it strenuous. Mr. Matthews deserved to know—so did the rest of the family—so that's why Josh proposed a weekend trip to Philadelphia.

"That is correct," Mr. Matthews answered softly, taking a seat behind his desk. "I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now. I just didn't know what to say."

"What're you talking about?" Maya pressed, clutching her notebook closer to her abdomen. Even though she wore one of Josh's NYU sweatshirts to class, she was still extra cautious about her bump.

"You don't have to play dumb with me, Maya," Mr. Matthews insisted. What was he talking about? The baby? Her heart dropped just thinking about it. She wanted to strangle whoever leaked the news before she could. "I've known for weeks."

"Who told you?" Maya croaked. The disappointment on his face and in his voice was obvious. It broke her heart. "Was it Riley? Josh? Shawn?"

"Nope," Mr. Matthews sighed, putting an emphasis on the 'p'. "It was Auggie. He overheard you and _my_ little brother talking about _your_ baby, so he asked me about it. You can only imagine how that escalated when Topanga found out. We've known you for more than half of your life, Maya. It feels like just yesterday you and Riley were ten-years-old, now look at you."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"It wasn't my place," Mr. Matthews explained, clasping his hands together. "Topanga and I think of you as our own flesh and blood. I only wish that you would have told us sooner, but as much as I'd like to think that I have a say in your life, I don't. I'm just your teacher."

"That's not it, Mr. Matthews," Maya said a little too quickly. "You and Mrs. Matthews mean the world to me. You guys are basically my second parents. I am _so_ sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. It's just been scary, you know? Josh and I are still working out the kinks in our relationship. His parents— _your_ parents—don't even know yet."

"The only people that know are my parents and my friends," Maya continued, feeling out of breath. "I don't think I've ever felt so stressed in my life. This wasn't supposed to be a huge secret. I'm not ashamed of Josh or our baby. It's just...I don't know. I didn't want things to change. I don't want you to look at me differently."

"You're pregnant with my kid brother's kid," Mr. Matthews chuckled. The conversation had already been painfully awkward, but that comment made it ten times worse. "Of course I'm going to look at you differently, Maya. You can't expect anything to stay the same. This changes everything, and I mean everything. But change isn't necessarily a bad thing. This will be an adjustment for everyone, and yeah this is awkward for me and I'm a little bit disappointed that everyone kept it a secret for so long, but I can promise you that I'm on your side."

"Thank you, Mr. Matthews."

"If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask. Alright? You always have a place with us at home."

* * *

"We made it!" Riley Matthews beamed later on that day, flashing a toothy smile that brightened every inch of the bakery. After fourth period was dismissed, the gang decided on meeting up at Topanga's to celebrate the end of the school year. "Mission accomplished. Freshman year complete."

Maya laughed. Her best friend's cheerfulness was awfully contagious and she couldn't help but smile. Riley was truly one of the rocks that kept Maya in place. She was selfless, kind and goofy. Maya couldn't imagine life without her.

"Farkle?" Riley asked, running a hand through her hair. It was much shorter now. She made the decision to chop it off a few days prior. "Have you been in contact with Smackle lately? I tried texting her, but she never replied."

"Walked her home on Tuesday," Farkle shrugged, suddenly taking an interest in his shoes: plain chuck taylors tied to perfection. It was insane to think about how he hadn't been in touch with his girlfriend for three days. He tried texting, calling ad even stopping by, but she wasn't there and didn't tell him a damn thing. "I haven't spoken to her since."

"Really?" Zay asked skeptically before gulping down a good portion of his strawberry smoothie. "Dude how can you get away with not talking to your girl for three whole days?"

"Riley texts me when we're in the same room," Lucas inserted, lifting his cellphone for emphasis. "See, this one says: you're so funny, lucas lmao."

"I tried," Farkle said. He did. He really tried to get through to her. He tried to get her to open up, and he would continue to keep trying for the rest of their lives. "All I can do is try. She'll talk to me when she's ready."

"Your girl's out there, man," Zay said sympathetically, removing the plastic straw from his lips. "Sometimes it feels like she lives on a completely different planet than us, but that's why we love her."

"So," Riley chirped, noticing her male best friend's sudden change of demeanor. Farkle Minkus saved her life once, and she would do anything to save his. She knew for a fact that he didn't want to discuss his complicated relationship in front of everyone. Not yet anyways. "Are you guys ready for our trip? Well, trips plural, since Maya's driving to Philadelphia to visit _my_ grandparents with _my_ uncle."

"Hey," Maya said, raising her hands in defense. She hadn't really said much all afternoon. She was still a bit caught off guard from her conversation with Cory. "I asked if you wanted to catch a ride with us, but..."

"I know," Riley exasperated. She was genuinely happy for Josh and Maya, but with a baby on the way, things were different. "Josh wants it to be a private moment."

"I can only imagine how weird it'll be at family reunions," Zay added, cringing inwardly. "Your entire family knows that Maya's your best friend. But now? She's your uncle's baby mama. My grandmas would definitely have a field day with that."

Maya rolled her eyes but shrugged off his comment all the same. She knew how Zay felt about her pregnancy. She knew how he felt about her, but they never got around to discussing it. At the end of the day, they were still friends. They still cared for each other.

"Anyways," Lucas trailed off, hoping to cover up his best friend's tracks. Riley slid her hand into his and his smile widened. "I don't think I've ever been so excited."

They were still so awkward after all of this time, but Maya had to admit that they were cute in their own way. Their dynamic was interesting. Riley Matthews was a city girl through and through, and Lucas Friar was a small town country boy at heart.

"It really means the world to me that you'd plan something like this," Lucas continued, bringing up their camping trip. Maya still couldn't believe that he was still so pure. He truly was Lucas the Good. "Thank you, Riley, for everything. Well thank you and your family."

There was never a dull moment with the Matthews clan. Fortunately for Lucas Friar and Isaiah Babineaux, they were able to learn that the easy way. The fact that they were able to earn Riley's trust in the very beginning meant that they had also won the jackpot with her father as well.

A week after testing, Riley approached her father with an idea idea. Nearly every summer since his big move, Lucas was given the opportunity to visit his hometown for at least two weeks during the summer. His Pappy Joe had been quick to purchase tickets in the past, but this year was a let down. With Texas out of the picture, Lucas felt confined to city life in the heart of good ole' New York. So Riley started to plan, eventually organizing a weeklong camping trip away from Manhattan. Everything seemed picture perfect up until her father took the game plan into his own hands. It was a family trip now but none of the kids really cared. A trip was a trip, and the boys loved spending times with the rest of the Matthews family.

"It's nothing," Riley shrugged. "It's going to be fun for all of us, and I need something to get my mind off of my best friend abandoning me."

"It's only four days," Maya groaned. "You really need to get over yourself, honey."

"I'm gonna miss you so much, peaches," Riley pouted. "What am I gonna do without you?"

"Camping apparently," Maya answered. She couldn't believe that Riley Matthews—of all people—would plan an actual camping trip. The Ski Lodge has been more than enough for the entire gang. Sleeping outdoors, let alone in a tent, was a foreign concept for her. "Good luck with that, by the way. I'm counting on Ranger Rick to keep an eye on you at all times."

"I will, trust me," Lucas stared firmly. Riley was a klutz. He wouldn't her her out of his sight even if his life depended on it.

"If she comes back with any scratch marks, bites or bruises, I know who to blame," Maya threatened playfully. Those were out of his control, but it was still fun to joke around.

* * *

Maya returned home that night to find her mother waiting for in the kitchen. It felt incredibly weird to think about how their lives used to be before the baby, before the acting gig and more importantly, before Shawn. Some of her most vivid memories were of her mother crying herself to sleep at night, but the ones that stuck with her the most were the nights she didn't come home at all. Things were different now. Katy was happy—or _was_ before she found out that she was going to be one of the youngest grandmother's in all of New York—and present in her daughter's life now more than ever.

"Maya?"

"Mom?"

"Do you have a minute?" Katy sighed, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the side of her glass mug. Their relationship was still a bit rocky. It was hard for Katy to wrap her head around the fact that her own baby was having a baby, but she couldn't hide from the truth forever. That wouldn't be fair to Maya or herself. "I can make you some hot coco if you want."

"Um sure," Maya said almost hesitantly. After the incident in Shawn's care, Katy avoided her daughter for nearly a week. Katy ate breakfast, lunch _and_ dinner in the privacy of her own room, picked fights with Shawn and her poor mother about everything and cried for hours on end. It wasn't until she had a genuine heart-to-heart with her husband that she began to open up to the idea of being a grandmother. "Hot coco sounds pretty good right about now. What's going on?"

"I'll get right to it then," Katy said softly, getting up from her seat at the island to retrieve another mug from the cabinet and a hot chocolate packet from the pantry. "I just want to talk to you about something. It'll be quick."

"Okay," Maya nodded. That didn't really answer her question, but she wouldn't pry. She sat on the other side of the island and tried to make herself comfortable on the barstool. Within minutes, Katy slid the warm beverage across the counter. Maya caught it, and it felt hot to the touch.

"So how's our girl?" Katy asked, motioning downward to Maya's stomach. Even though she failed to admit it sometimes, she was looking forward to meeting her little girl. "Are you feeling okay today?"

"I'm alright," Maya answered truthfully. She couldn't really describe how she felt, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. "And she's never been better."

"That's great," Katy said. This was unfamiliar territory for the both of them, but at least they were making a solid effort. "I got a call today."

"From who?" Maya questioned, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. It was steaming hot, just the way she liked it.

"One of the casting directors for this new Guillermo Del Toro film that's in production," Katy explained, taking in a deep breath. "I auditioned when I was in LA to humor myself. I didn't think that I'd actually get a leading role, but I did. Baby, I made it."

"Wow," Maya breathed out, looking at her mother in awe. She couldn't believe her luck. "Congratulations, mom. This is a really big deal. A Guillermo Del Toro movie? I remember watching Pan's Labyrinth with Ms. Rivera from 28B all of the time when we lived in East Harlem."

"It is a really big deal," Katy agreed. She looked sad, but Maya didn't know why. This was the role of a lifetime. It was ten times greater than anything D.W. Preminger could pull out of his ass. "But I can't accept the offer."

"What?" Maya practically screeched. "You need to accept the offer, mom. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and you love acting."

"I do love acting," Katy reasoned. "But I love you more. Filming felt like a dream, but it was missing something. You and Shawn. I missed you guys every single day."

"We missed you too, but that's not a reason to throw all of this away."

"It's not that. When you needed me the most, I wasn't there for you. You had to deal with all of this baby drama on your own, and I understand why you didn't want to tell me. You were being selfless. You wanted me to follow my dreams. I appreciate that, sweetheart, I really do, but if I accept this offer, filming will take months. Baby girl will be here soon. I just can't risk it."

"Yes you can," Maya argued. This was the life her mother had dreamed of ever since childhood. Maya would be damned before she let that slip away. "I do need you. I'll always need you. You're my mom, but I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. Please consider being in the movie. If not for me, then for my daughter. Imagine how awesome it would be for her to brag about her superstar grandma in kindergarten."

Katy sighed. It really wasn't that simple. She couldn't think about herself anymore. Her family grew significantly in the past year. It wasn't just Katy and Maya—it was Katy, Shawn, Maya and Baby—and that made all of the difference.

* * *

If texting was a sport, Joshua Matthews swore that Maya would be a prospective Olympic Gold Medalist. Between Riley and Maya, texts were sent out at the speed of lightning. Sometimes it seemed as if their thumbs twiddled fasted than their minds could process. Josh was impressed, but he hoped that they wouldn't spend the rest of their car ride in silence with Maya's sole focus being the contents transported to and from her smart phone.

"Riley wants to know how long we have left," Maya yawned the following morning, looking up from her cellular device. "She said that your brother plans on picking up the boys sometime around noon after Auggie's troop meeting."

At the mere mention of a troop, the older boy's eyes widened as if she had dropped a huge bombshell. "Auggie's a Boy Scout? When did that happen?" Josh asked, loosening his grip on his steering wheel. "And we have about an hour left. Fifty-six minutes exactly. ETA is 12:24."

"Yeah, I thought you knew."

"I didn't. I'm just...wow." Josh tried to picture his favorite nephew dressed in one of those ridiculous Cub Scout uniforms he was forced to wear as a kid. He loved being a scout, but he definitely lost a lot of street credit for it growing up.

"Let me guess: you used to be one too?" Maya teased, rubbing her thumb pads against the cracks on her screen. She cracked her screen on accident when she left the apartment. She was due for an upgrade anyways, but she didn't want to pester her parents about it."That's adorable."

"It's not that cute," Josh defended, reminiscing on the all of the long nights he spent learning how to be a man. Stereotypically, of course. He learned the true meaning of manhood from his father, brothers and even Shawn. Survival skills were nothing compared to integrity, honesty and respect. "It's actually pretty cool when you get to all of the hands on stuff. Trust me, we did a lot more than sell popcorn outside of Walmart."

"Did you have to wear those cute little uniforms all of the time?" Maya grinned, hoping to add to the fire. She had seen pictures of a much younger Josh sprawled out across her best friend's home, but she never pictured him to be a scout. When Josh nodded in response, Maya cooed.

"Those outfits were ridiculous," Josh shook his head, slowly easing off of the gas petal at the sight of a police car ahead. He loved his jeep more than he could describe with words. He was supposed to be the responsible one, receiving yet another ticket for speeding wouldn't reflect well on his character. "I'll admit that, but it could be worse."

"I met my best friend when I was a Tiger Cub Scout," Josh added. Maya tried her best not to laugh. He was being serious, and she had to respect that. "I haven't talked to him in forever, but we're brothers for life."

"What happened to him?" Maya asked, her iPhone forgotten as she tried to carry on the conversation. Conversation is the most important part of any relationship. She loved talking to him, and she loved to listen.

"He's a reformed man," Josh chuckled. He liked to think that his adolescence was worthy of a memoir that he would never gather the courage to write. "At least, I hope. We grew up. I saw him a few months back. I was his best man."

"Best man?" Maya repeated, reaching over her lap to adjust the air conditioner's temperature. She felt incredibly hot, almost sweaty. She discarded her sweatshirt as soon as she buckled herself into his car. Summer was already taking a toll on her body. "Like at a wedding?"

"Something like that," he answered, downshifting in preparation to stop at an upcoming traffic light. If Maya's assumptions were correct, Josh's best friend would be about eighteen or nineteen years old. Similarly to having a baby at sixteen, she couldn't imagine getting married so young. But with that being said it was definitely feasible. "Technically, Kai and Christina were already legally married before the ceremony. Her parents just didn't know."

"Scandalous," Maya complimented. In truth, she didn't know much about Josh's social life outside of New York. It had always been a mystery to both Maya and Riley. "How do you think your friend is going to react to the news?"

"I'm sure he'll sleep better at night knowing that his second wedding wasn't the scandal of the century," Josh shrugged, poking fun. "I doubt he'll have anything negative to say. He already knows of you."

"He knows of me?"

"Oh yeah," Josh said, checking his blind spots before easing into the left turning lane. There weren't any cars in sight, but he was a stickler for the rules. His car was precious cargo, and it was carrying precious cargo. "I told him all about this pretty little blonde from New York and how I earned my rightful place in her dungeon of sadness."

Maya cringed at the memory. That day on the metro hadn't been her finest moment. Even then, she couldn't stand the thought of seeing Josh with another girl. It broke her heart, but it wasn't as if they were together back then.

"Pretty blonde?" Maya smirked. "Did you also mention my unresolved daddy issues and black swan complex?"

Contrary to what she believed in the past, he actually paid attention to her. He took in every bit of information she put out and observed the world in ways she wouldn't have considered. She adored their conversations because he _knew_ her; he knew every inch of her from her hidden beauty marks to the invisible scars she attained from years of emotional tyranny.

"Don't worry," Josh reassured, resting his eyes on her face for a moment before returning his attention to the road. "Your deepest secrets are safe with me, miss Angelina Ballerina."

"You've got to be kidding me," Maya coughed. She couldn't help but laugh. First Boy Scouts and now references to children's books? She was in so deep. "Angelina Ballerina?"

"What? You've never read those books?" Josh questioned in disbelief. She learned how to read quite early before setting foot in a kindergarten classroom, but dancing mice in tutus never seemed to pique her interest. Maya shook her head as if to indicate that she had not. "I used to be really close with Morgan. My brothers are a lot older than me. So they were never around that much when I was growing up."

"Morgan always wanted a little sister," Josh shuddered at the thought. He loved Morgan, but the first seven years were all Morgan's doing. "I guess I was the next best thing. That lasted until she went away for college. When she left, it felt like I was an only child."

"It must be nice to have siblings," Maya commented, reminiscing on her own childhood. She was raised as an only child. That's all that she's ever known. "Even if they're older than you, you still have them. They'll always be there for you."

"Don't you have..."

"Yes and no," Maya cut him off mid-sentence, suddenly feeling at ease with this topic. After putting in a great deal of research, she learned that she actually did have multiple half-siblings. "My father," she gulped, "Kermit remarried shortly after he left. He has an entirely new family: three daughters and a son. I don't know them, and I don't think I ever will."

"You ever get curious?"

"Sometimes," Maya answered truthfully. Sometimes she wondered what her life would be like if her biological father stepped up to be at least half the man Shawn proved himself to be. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to get to know her half-siblings. But _for the most part, sh_ e refused to dwell on the possibilities of another life. She was perfectly content with hers, flaws and all. "It doesn't matter. Family isn't determined by blood. I mean, it's really nice to know that the people that are supposed to love you... do. But that isn't always the case."

"I don't think I say it enough," Maya continued, glancing out the window to see another rest stop accompanied by a decorated _Welcome to Pennsylvania_ sign. "But I'm thankful for all of the people in my life. I'm happy with who I am and how my life turned out to be."

She had grown up so much. Sometimes Josh couldn't wrap his head around how much she had changed over the past few years. She was gorgeous and kind, snarly yet compassionate. She wasn't so little anymore, and he had never been so glad that he stopped looking at her like that.

"You know," Josh began, finally becoming familiar with his surroundings. He really missed being back in his home state. He missed home. "You're going to be an amazing mom, Maya."

"Thanks, Josh," Maya expressed, leaning the side of her head against the warm glass window. "But for all it's worth, we both know who she's going to love the most."

"You?"

"No, Mr. Angelina Ballerina," Maya shot back. "I'm pretty sure she's going to favor her daddy. Everyone loves you. It makes sense."

"Even you?"

"Especially me."

Josh smirked, and a comfortable silence settled between them. Maya shut her eyes, hoping to nap away the rest of the drive. As soon as Maya fell asleep, Josh turned up the car radio and hummed along to Elliot Smith's greatest hits until he entered into his county borders.

* * *

It was widely-known amongst the Matthews clan that Josh had been the apple of his mother's eye ever since the day he was born. Amy loved her son. She loved _all_ of her children, but there was a special place in her heart for the youngest of the bunch. Josh was her baby. He would always be. Josh knew for a fact that the knowledge of Maya's pregnancy would be a tough pill for her to swallow, but he was confident that she would come around eventually.

"You scared?" Maya asked Josh, interlocking their hands as they stood on his front porch. For the first time in his entire life, he felt like a stranger in his own home. But with Maya by his side, he felt unstoppable.

* * *

 **Additional Author's Note:** Shout out to those who left a review for the last chapter! I appreciate everything. Also **shannoncrystal** the baby girl names you mentioned are SO cute, I absolutely adore Hartley.

 **Chapter Preview:** Amy and Alan finally make an appearance, a reunion with Josh's old friends goes awry, a blast from the past tries to get in the way of Joshaya and Maya learns a lesson about love from Mr. Feeny.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Northern Constellations_**

 **Summary:** Explore a year in the life of Joshua Matthews and Maya Hart as they discover the wonders and woes of young parenthood. Joshaya. Post-S3.

 **Author's Note:** This is the Philadelphia chapter you've all been waiting for. Enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

Josh knocked twice before thumbing through the keys on his key ring. He had five keys total: a house key, another for the shed in the backyard and two spares for his brothers' apartments. They all looked relatively similar, but he knew that he would get it eventually. After waiting a few short moments, he inserted the right key and opened the door. It swung open with an eerie creak, and Josh took in a deep breath.

"Ma?" Josh called as they entered the house. He shut and locked the door behind them. Afterward, he set his keys on one of the little decorative tables pushed up against the wall, and looked around. "Anyone home?"

No one responded, and the silence was overwhelming. He couldn't remember a time when his house felt so dead. Even though his parents were a bit older than most, their home had always been active and lively. It still looked like home—with the same outdated furniture and blue drapes—but it didn't quite feel like it.

"Her car was parked out front," Josh said with a shrug as he placed their bags at the base of the stairwell. "Maybe she went out with my dad or one of her old co-workers. I think they go out for lunch sometimes."

"Did I hear someone say _lunch_?" someone chirped from upstairs—the voice was unfamiliar to Maya but all too familiar to Josh—and the older boy groaned as her footsteps got closer. Way to go, Morgan, he thought. "I missed you, baby brother."

"I missed you too, Morgan," Josh rolled his eyes as the older woman rushed to give him a hug. She ran a hand through his hair and pet him like a puppy. Morgan Matthews was a force to be reckoned with. She was pushing thirty-something, single, educated and employed. She was a free, independent spirit, and he envied that. "Mom didn't tell me that you were coming home this weekend. I thought you had work."

"That's funny because mom didn't tell me that you were coming home this weekend either," Morgan replied, noticing the other blonde in the room. "I have business in the area, and I'd rather sleep in my own bed than waste money on a hotel room for a couple of nights. And Maya? It's so good to see you again. You're...glowing."

"Thanks, I guess?"

"It's a compliment," Morgan reassured, combing through her damp hair with her fingertips. From the looks of it, she was fresh out of the shower. "Don't worry. Now where are my favorite niece and nephew?"

"It's just us this time," Josh answered for Maya. Morgan knew just as much about their predicament as his parents. He didn't intend on meeting up with his older sister so soon, so he would have to kill two birds with one stone this week. "Me and Maya."

"You and Maya?" Morgan asked skeptically, looking back and forth between the two. Something strange was going on, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. "I see. Are you two together now?"

"That is correct," Josh said, giving a quaint nod. Maya's heart skipped a beat. Hearing him openly admit to their relationship to someone as important as his big sister felt so unreal. "It happened pretty fast, but we're happy."

"And let me guess: mom and dad don't know about this yet?" Morgan continued, her Veronica Mars complex kicking in. "You could've told them over the phone, dummy. It's not like you have to bring her home to meet them. Mom and dad already love Maya."

"There's more to it," Josh trailed off, chewing at the sides of his cheeks. "Actually there's a lot more to it than that."

"Uh oh," Morgan teased, leaning up against the railing of the steps. "What kind of trouble did you guys get yourself into this time? Maya's pregnant? You two eloped? Shawn _is_ a pretty progressive parent. I can definitely see him giving consent."

"We aren't married," Maya interjected, chuckling nervously. She had always known of Morgan, but she never really knew her. "But we are...going to have a kid pretty soon."

"Josh?" Morgan exasperated, eyeing her brother expectantly. "What did I tel l you about always wrapping up? And Maya's like fifteen. You guys are kids."

"I'm sixteen," Maya offered as if it made the situation any better. "We really didn't plan on this happening. It just did, and now we're dealing with it as best as we can."

"Well I'm disappointed," Morgan said uncomfortable, grimacing at the thought of her baby brother being intimate with the little girl who once destroyed their neighbor's garden. They were still babies in her eyes. "But I can't say that I'm surprised."

"What do you mean by that?" Josh asked.

"You're mom's baby," Morgan explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She doesn't have favorites obviously, but if she did, it would be you. You were bound to rebel. Good luck, Joshie. You're really going to need it."

"Gee thanks, Morgan," Josh said, rolling his eyes. It was true. He was Amy's miracle baby. She never really let that go. "Speaking of mom, where's she at? Her car's parked outside."

"I let her take my car to go grocery shopping," Morgan answered, checking the time on her phone. "That was around twelve-ish so you guys just missed her. She'll probably be gone for another hour, so that gives me enough time to put some makeup on and pick up a nice little bottle of Chardonnay because God knows how much we'll be needing that tonight."

* * *

"Your sister is intense," Maya commented as they settled into Josh's childhood bedroom. It was minimalist and lacked a personal touch, but it was still comfortable.

"Tell me about it," Josh sighed, lying on his back with his hands behind his head. Morgan was something else, but she was still his big sister. It was her job to boss him around and excessively worry. "It's all out of love though. She means well."

"Do you think you'll ever want more kids?" Maya asked, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. It was around the same size as her bed at home: a full or a queen. "I didn't mean soon...I meant in the future, you know, when we're actually ready."

"If this is your way of subtly asking me to father all of your kids, then the answer is yes," Josh smirked, turning to head to look at the blonde. Maya raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head. His boyish charm was one of the reasons she fell in love with him. It made her weak at the knees. "But to answer your question, I do want to have more kids in the future. We're embarking on this whole new adventure—you, me and baby—it isn't going to be easy, but we're going to love the hell out of her. I just hope that the next one will be born into better circumstances."

"Like what?"

"There'll come a day when we both finish school," Josh answered. "I'll start my career, we'll find a place of our own, maybe get married. All good stuff."

"If that's your way of asking me if I want to get married, then the answer is yes," Maya teased. "I'm kidding—not really—but I feel the same. As crazy as it might sound, I kind of _really_ want to be a mom right now, but I hope that we'll have a little bit more to offer for the next one."

"We'll make it someday," Josh said confidently.

"You think so?"

"I know so. Now come here," Josh added, inviting Maya to lie down with him. She obliged. Josh wrapped an arm around Maya, and within moments, they fell asleep.

* * *

"Morgan?" Amy Matthews called, opening the front door with an armful of groceries. "Can you take this to the kitchen?"

"Of course, mom," Morgan answered immediately, placing her glass of wine on an accent table. It was two-thirty in the afternoon, and she had just made it back home from the new Fine Wine Good Spirits that had opened up nearby. Josh and Maya were still asleep, so she took it upon herself to pop open the bottle and start her night early. It was going to be a long one anyways.

"Here let me grab that," Morgan offered, rushing to her mother's aid. She carried the bag to the kitchen, and then went to the porch to retrieve a few more paper bags until both women found themselves putting away the groceries inside. When they finished, Morgan went to retrieve her empty of Chardonnay and its pristine bottle.

"You're drinking already?" Amy Matthews asked, narrowing an eyebrow at her only daughter. "This early? I haven't even started dinner yet."

"Relax," Morgan began, slyly pulling out another glass from the cupboard behind her. "I'm not an alcoholic. It's nice to wind down sometimes. I'll pour a little bit for you, and _we_ can make dinner together like how we used to."

"Thanks, honey," Amy expressed with her back pressed against the sink. She wasn't too keen on the idea of drinking, but she rarely saw her daughter anymore and she could use all the help she could get. "Where's your brother?"

"He's, um, sleeping, I think," Morgan tried to explain as she began to pour her mother a drink. Both Josh and Maya were asleep in his room the last time she checked. "He made it in maybe ten minutes after you left for Trader Joe's."

"Should I wake him up?" Amy asked, excited to reunite with her son. Even at nineteen-years-old, Joshua Matthews was still very much her baby.

"Not yet," Morgan said a little too quickly, deciding in that moment to fill Amy's glass to the brim. She needed it the most. "Let him sleep until dad gets home. That way we can _all_ eat."

Morgan sighed. Even though her mother was a simple woman, there was still a chance that their night would end up in flames.

* * *

Around four o'clock, Morgan knocked on her little brother's door insistently. She knew that it was unlocked because Josh had lost his 'lock' privileges indefinitely when he snuck over an ex-girlfriend when he was fourteen, but it was still polite to knock.

Moments later, Josh cracked open the door in a disheveled state. His hair was a mess and his shirt was a little wrinkled from his awkward positioning on the bed.

"You guys up?" Morgan asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly at her little brother. "Dad's in the shower, and mom and I made pasta—your favorite—so I think now's the time for you to face the music."

"Yeah?" Josh gulped, looking back at Maya who was still sprawled out on the bed. "We'll be down in a couple of minutes. Did you tell mom that I brought Maya?"

"I didn't say anything about Maya," Morgan assured. "I got mom a little bit tipsy when we were cooking, so that might make things a little better..."

"Or worse," Josh corrected, his head starting to ache. His mother rarely drank. He couldn't recall the last time he had ever seen her drunk. "And dad?"

"Well he noticed a new pair of shoes at the front door, but that's about it," Morgan answered, shrugging her shoulders as if it were no big deal. "I'm pretty sure dad thinks that they're mine even though he _knows_ that I haven't worn a pair of converse since high school, you know, because you threw up on my favorite pair when I took you to that stupid carnival and you got sick on the teacups. Anyways, hurry up and come downstairs because I'm starving and you need to get your shit together."

"I don't want to sound ungrateful, but why are you helping me?"

"You're my little brother, Josh," Morgan explained, rolling her eyes. "You were basically _my_ baby. Yeah, we get on each others nerves all of the time and I only see you on holidays now because we're grown, but as a big sister, it's my job to look out for you. Never forget that."

* * *

"Mom? Dad?" Josh called as he walked down the stairs, careful with each step. Maya followed shortly behind. It truly felt weird to be home again. He hadn't seen his mom and dad since Topanga turned down her firm's international partnership months prior. With school and the baby on his plate, Josh barely had any time to himself, let alone time to to take a road trip, so he knew that his mother wouldn't take his presence lightly.

"My baby!" Amy Matthews beamed, opening her arms at the sight of her youngest, her actual baby. Josh accepted her embrace and was instantly reminded of how warm his mother made him feel. The love of a parent was a crazy thing. "Oh, just look at you. Alan, look at how handsome your boy's getting."

"Looking more and more like me each day," Alan poked fun at the mother-son duo and grinned. "Not too sure about your brothers though."

Morgan snorted. "I can't believe that you guys used to think Eric was the cute one. Obviously Josh and I inherited all of your good looks."

"What about Cory?" Amy asked, narrowing her eyes at her only daughter.

"Cory _who_?" Morgan teased. "What? I'm kidding."

"Oh—and Maya!" Amy exclaimed as soon as the young blonde came into vision. In all honesty, Maya Hart was the last person she'd expect to see in her living room on a random Saturday evening. If she had known that there would be other guests, she would've prepared accordingly. "It's always nice seeing you, honey. Josh didn't tell me that you were tagging along."

"It's a surprise," Josh interjected, suddenly feeling all four pairs of eyes on him. Maya looked at Josh expectedly. She hoped that he'd have something better to say. "Maya and I have been meaning to stop by for a while, mom."

"Now why's that?" Alan questioned. He could read his son like an open book. It was too easy.

"It's a long story," Josh answered truthfully, turning toward Maya. "But we can talk about that after we eat. Morgan said mom made pasta."

"Well that's fine by me," Alan said, nodding in approval. "I guess we should eat then. Maya, you hungry?"

"Just a little bit," Maya replied, forcing herself to smile. Amy and Alan weren't strangers, so she wasn't sure why she felt so awkward. "Thanks Mr. Matthews."

"Great," Alan chirped. "Morgan will set a plate for you at the table. You're always welcome here, ya know."

"Already did, dad," Morgan said, earning a confused look from her mother. She couldn't believe that Morgan didn't say anything sooner.

"Alright, let's eat," Amy said as they walked into the kitchen. She had so many questions, but they could wait a while.

* * *

"Thank you for the food, Mrs. Matthews," Maya said politely after they finished eating. She typically preferred Spaghetti over Fettuccini Alfredo, but the creamy cheese sauce tasted like heaven in her mouth. "Morgan, you too. It was delicious."

"You're welcome," Amy Matthews smiled back, plate in hand about to make her way to the sink. "I'm glad you liked it."

"I'm surprised you ate so much," Josh commented, nudging Maya with his shoulder. "For the past few weeks, it's just been pizza and hot wings."

"Don't forget celery with ranch," Maya added, her mouth watering at the thought of a plate of hot wings, celery and ranch. She always pictured herself having odd cravings, but her desired foods were quite good.

"That too," Josh agreed, getting up to place his plate in the sink as well. Before Josh and Amy left the table, Morgan shot up.

"You know what?" Morgan proposed, feigning a look of thoughtfulness. "I'll get that. I think I'll do the dishes tonight, mom. You wanna tbop off your glass so I can get rid of the bottle while I'm at it?"

"Sure, sweetheart," Amy accepted her daughter's offer. Although she preferred red wine over white, she had grown accustomed to the taste of Morgan's drugstore priced Chardonnay. "And thanks."

"You're welcome," Morgan smiled before making eye contact with her little brother. Her eyes widened as if to indicate that now was the time. "After all, I'm a guest. _Josh_?"

"Um, yeah," Josh coughed into his sleeve. He glanced at Maya for a brief moment, and then looked back up at his older sister. "I'll make lunch and do the dishes tomorrow…or I could just take you guys out. You know, Maya's never had an authentic Cheesesteak before.

"That actually sounds really good right now," Maya thought aloud, musing to herself, earning a tiny giggle from Morgan.

"Remember that old food truck down the street from John Adams? You should take her _there_ tomorrow," Morgan trailed off, collecting all of the fine china and silverware. "Their sandwiches are divine."

Josh nodded, and with that, Morgan turned on her heels and walked to the kitchen sink to wash all of the dishes, thus leaving four at the table. All was silent. Amy sipped away at her drink, feeling quite tired after her meal, and Alan sat with his elbows rested on the table, quietly observing his young son and his female companion.

"So how's school been, Maya?" Alan Matthews asked, breaking the silence at the table. The _original_ Mr. Matthews was a nice guy. She liked him a lot, but he just seemed intimidating at the moment. "Yesterday was your last day, right?"

"It was," Maya nodded, twiddling her thumbs underneath the table. Josh caught on and placed a hand above her knee for comfort. "And school has been fine. My grades are a lot better than they used to be, and I'm passing for once. Mr. Matthews— _Cory_ —suggested that I take honors history with Riles next year."

"That's great," Amy smiled. She cared deeply for her granddaughter's best friend. Maya Hart had been around for years, but it seemed as though she needed to take an even greater interest in the girl. If she didn't already know before, it was obvious that she had won over her son's heart. "How are your parents? We haven't heard from Shawn in a while."

"They're doing alright," Maya answered truthfully. Shawn and Katy were still very much in love and their home was definitely a happy one, but things were a little different now. They were about to become grandparents. "My mom came back from filming not too long ago, and everything has been pretty good at home. Shawn's planning on taking her upstate next weekend to get away from all of the craziness."

" _Craziness_?" Alan questioned, narrowing his eyes at the young woman. He wondered what she meant by that. "Life can't be that bad. Aren't you guys in that fancy little apartment now?"

"Life isn't bad," Maya explained. "Far from it actually, but we're just trying to make sense of things. And yeah, we moved into the new apartment. It isn't _fancy_ fancy, but it's a lot nicer than what I'm used to."

"I imagine that it's _a lot_ nicer than Shawn's cabin in the woods," Amy added, taking one final sip of her alcoholic beverage. "He sent us pictures when he bought it. Tried to talk him out of it, but he just wouldn't budge."

"You guys should come check out our new apartment whenever you visit Manhattan," Maya offered hopefully. She pictured them coming up to visit a lot more when their granddaughter is born. "Shawn would love that, and it's practically walking distance from Riles' place and the bakery."

"We will be sure to stop by, honey," Amy said, setting down her glass. Amy Matthews was _so_ nice. Maya sincerely hoped that she wouldn't hate her once they dropped the bomb. She didn't want to be known as the person who ruined her son's life.

"Maya?" Josh whispered, taking her hand in hers. "You okay?"

Maya nodded, translating his 'you okay? to 'are you ready?' At this point in their relationship, she swore that she knew him better than anyone else.

"So like I said before, Maya and I have been meaning to come see you guys for a while," Josh began, pausing to decipher the looks on his parents' faces. They were impossible to read, and Josh heard a clatter in the kitchen. Morgan must've dropped a dish in anticipation of the events that were about to unfold.

"What's going on, _son_?" Alan asked, putting an emphasis on 'son' and Josh cringed inwardly. He loved his parents. He couldn't have asked for a better mom and dad. A part of him knew that he should've said something sooner, but everything had felt so surreal and they were going at their own pace.

"I'm in love with Maya," Josh continued. Maya felt her heart race. She wasn't expecting that especially in front of his parents, but it was a good start.

"Tell us something that we _don't_ know," Amy exasperated, poking fun at her baby boy. This earned a laugh from Morgan, eavesdropping from the kitchen sink. "Josh, we've known since you were twelve years old. It's not a huge secret."

"So what?" Alan asked, yawning. "You guys are in a relationship now?"

"Yes," Josh said with absolute certainty. Maya didn't object. They knew how each other felt. It was all love, but they didn't go as far as defining the relationship yet. "But that's not what we came here to discuss."

"What's going on?" Amy asked, suddenly feeling uneasy. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine, mom," Josh reassured her. He shut his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath, and Maya decided that it was her turn to speak up.

"I'm _really_ sorry," Maya cut in, earning a confused look from Josh. "You guys are probably gonna hate me after this, and I can promise you that Josh wanted to tell you guys the moment he found out, but I told him not to because I've been taking things way too soon. I'm so sorry."

"Maya, honey, calm down," Amy furrowed an eyebrow at the girl. Maya was like another granddaughter in a way, and it was awful to see her in hysterics. "What are you talking about?"

"Maya's pregnant, mom," Josh explained, clearing the air. Telling his parents felt a whole lot worse than telling her own. At the end of the day, she knew that Shawn and Katy would love her unconditionally. Amy and Alan? They only knew her as their granddaughter's childhood best friend.

"I'm sorry," Maya said weakly.

"Don't apologize," Josh sighed. Her apologizing like that was so out of character, but he blamed it on hormones. "Literally none of this is your fault, Maya. No one blames you, especially not me."

"Okay, wow," Amy choked up a bit. "When did this happen?"

"January," Josh answered, taking responsibility for their actions. It was June. She was five months along now, more than halfway there. "Found out a couple months ago."

" _Months_ , Josh?" Alan exclaimed. He raised his voice slightly. Maya wasn't sure if he was angry or just taken by surprise. "Why in the hell didn't you tell us when you found out?"

"I asked him not to say anything," Maya answered for him, quick to defend the man who would do the exact same for her. "I just needed time."

"There isn't such thing as _infinite_ time when you're pregnant, Maya," Amy frowned, trying her best not to cry in front of everyone. She wasn't really sure _how_ to feel. She saw Josh as her baby for so long and now he was coming to her as a man. "How long have you known?"

"Since March," Maya breathed out. Had it really been that long since she found out? She looked back on all of the countless days she spent ill, hunched over toilet seats, worrying her best friend to death. She looked back on the tender moments she shared with Shawn—her _dad_ —and the anxiety that built in the weeks leading up to her mom's return. She looked back on the sleepless nights she spent falling in love with the man sitting next to her. She looked back on all of the crying and the laughter—all of the friendship and love—had it really been _that_ long?

"So you're well into your second trimester?" Amy pried, wiping a stray tear away from her eyes. "Do you know if it's a..."

"Girl," Maya said, louder than a whisper but not quite as audible for Morgan to hear over the sound of the faucet. "We're going to have a daughter."

"That's _so_ wow," Amy expressed at a loss for words. She just didn't know what to say. She was absolutely devastated. She wanted to yell and reprimand her son for his actions— _his_ actions that resulted in such a dire consequence—but at the same time, she felt happy and sad all at once. Her baby boy was finally growing up, and she knew that it was time to let go. "Another granddaughter?"

"We're expecting her sometime in October," Maya added. She wouldn't have pictured her saying _that_ ever, but times were changing. This was her life nowaday. "I would love for you to be a part of her life, ya know, since you're her grandmother and all."

Amy nodded but remained silent, and Alan gritted his teeth together. It was obvious that he had something to say.

"I know that you guys are mad..."

"Mad is an understatement, Josh," Alan shot back, keeping his demeanor calm. "We're furious. Furious that you would be _so_ irresponsible but even more so because you kept this from us for so long."

"We're _your_ parents," Amy sighed, feeling tension build at the back of her skull. Now wasn't the time for a headache. "But I guess you'll understand what that means when you become a parent yourself."

"I'm sorry..."

"You're an adult," Alan cut him off. "We've always treated you like one. Don't apologize for the decisions that you make because _sorry_ won't change anything. The only thing you can do now is own up and take responsibility."

"That's exactly what I'm doing, dad," Josh explained. That was his plan from the very beginning. He vowed to own up for their slip up and take responsibility. "I'm coming to you—as a man—to tell you that you're going to be a grandfather again. Are the circumstances ideal? No."

"Did we plan this?" Josh continued. "Of course not, but I am taking responsibility for what happened."

"Ya know, I expected this from Eric or Cory," Alan went on, ranting more so than anything. "But never from you. They're idiots. You're the smart one."

"Alan," Amy chastised.

"What?" Alan countered. "It's the truth."

" _Alan_."

"Fine," Alan huffed, coming to a realization that their exchange seemed comical. "But you get where I'm coming from, right?"

"Of course I do," Amy sighed. "He's our son. We raised him well. I'm disappointed _beyond_ belief."

"Mom..."

"But that doesn't change my love for you," Amy interjected. "It doesn't change how I feel about Maya either. I love _both_ of you, and I'm gonna love the hell out of my grandkid."

"None of you were planned," Amy added, looking at the young couple sympathetically. "Not you, not Morgan, not Cory and _definitely_ not Eric...but I love all of you, and you guys became my world. I have two oddball sons, a little bird that keeps flying back to the nest to drink wine on my couch and a baby I almost lost. It's not easy being a parent, but it's a life I wouldn't trade for the world."

"She's right," Alan said, his tone a lot softer than before. "And as parents, all we want is for our kids to live good lives. We've succeeded so far. Eric— _our_ Eric—is an actual senator. Cory married Topanga and made a life for himself. Morgan's travelled the world. And you— _Josh_ —earned that big scholarship at NYU. We don't have to pay a dime out of pocket for you to get an education. I think we did a pretty damn good job at raising all four of you."

"This isn't how I pictured your first year of college," Alan said truthfully. "This isn't how your mom pictured things either, but if you're serious about manning up and taking responsibility...I have no reason to argue with you. Be the man we raised you to be."

"I will," Josh professed wholeheartedly. "I can promise you that I will be."

"Now that _that_ is over with," Amy began, scooting her chair away from the table. She looked like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. "I think I need a cigarette. Maya, Josh, I love you. If you ever need anything, I'm here."

"Wait," Josh called out as his mother walked away from the table. "Ma you don't even smoke."

"You're right," Amy shrugged, making her way toward the back door. "I don't smoke, but Morgan does."

"Jesus Christ," Alan groaned. "Look what you did, Josh. You broke your mother. Go talk to her."

So Josh followed...and that's exactly what he did.

* * *

"How did things go with your mom?" Maya asked over an hour and a half later when Josh returned to the room. In the time they spent apart, Maya color coordinated the remaining clothes in his closet, raided his desk drawers—which were _surprisingly_ empty aside from an unopened box of condoms, a few miscellaneous trinkets and the better half of a partially eaten twix bar—and took a warm shower to kick start her night. "Did she bite your head off?"

"Not exactly," Josh said ambiguously, taking a seat at the edge of his bed. He sank down, and Maya moved closer to him. "She cried for a little bit and we just sat together for a while."

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

Josh nodded. "I mean she's _fine_ now. This is just a lot to take in at once. My siblings are old. They've been out of the house for a _really_ long time, and I'm just starting out. It's kinda hard for her to see me grow up. Did you know that I almost died once?"

"It's been mentioned before," Maya trailed off, hoping that he would elaborate. She didn't know the exact details—of course—but she heard stories about his birth.

"Well, I was born premature," Josh explained, taking her hand in his for what seemed to be the hundredth time of the day. "Two months early—or something like that—and I contracted this nasty respiratory infection. Couldn't even leave the hospital. I was _this_ close to not making it, but I did anyways. That's one of the reasons why my mom still thinks of me as her baby."

"Because you almost weren't?"

"Pretty much," Josh sighed as Maya rested her head on his shoulder. It felt so good to be close. They were both starved of physical contact. "As depressing as that sounds. Is that my shirt?"

"It _is_ your shirt, genius. How could you tell?" Maya teased, looking down on the band tee she had pulled from his closet. It was white and had a large image of a sun printed on the front. It even fit big over her slightly swollen stomach. That's one of the reasons why she liked it so much.

"You don't even _like_ Sublime," Josh said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She knew that he was joking, but his words held some truth in them. She would never admit to it, but she'd rather listen to bluegrass than ska any day. "I'm pretty sure we've talked about this before, and the only song that you know is Santeria. I have a Joy Division shirt in here somewhere. You can have that one. I know how much you love the classics."

"You don't know how much I love _you_ ," Maya said dreamily, suddenly feeling like the naïve little girl she had been at the Ski Lodge. "I mean...yeah. I do love the classics. You do know me. But I want this one."

"But why?" Josh egged her on. He honestly didn't care. She could take all of his clothes if she felt inclined to. Seeing her in his clothes really did something to him. "You're always preaching about how people shouldn't wear band shirts for bands that they don't listen to."

"It is my _biggest_ pet peeve in life," Maya cringed. "Doesn't it bother you when you see someone in a Stones shirt, and when you ask them what their favorite song is they can't name a single one?"

"It actually doesn't bother me all that much," Josh replied, earning an annoyed look from the blonde. "But that's my point exactly. Why go for Sublime when you can go for Joy Division?"

"I want this one because it's yours," Maya shrugged, tugging at the bottom hem of the shirt with her free hand. "You like Sublime and I like you. That's gotta compensate for something."

"You really are something else," Josh teased, kissing the top of her head. It had been a stressful day and a stressful few months, but the moments they spent together made it all worthwhile. "I wonder if the baby is gonna be like you."

"I hope not," Maya said impulsively. She didn't intend on sounding snappy. "I hope that she's better than me."

"If you say so, but I hope that she's snarky _and_ creative _and_ funny _and_ kind just like her mother."

"We've gotta think of a name," Maya blurted out. It had been on her mind for a while. They discussed names in the past—Stone, Sidney and Manson—but now they were having a little girl. "I'm getting kinda tired of referring to her as baby."

"You're right," Josh agreed. It had been on his mind for quite some time as well. "We can't keep calling her Baby Matthews for all eternity. She needs a name. What did you have in mind? Nathalie? Riley said something about that."

Maya shrugged. "I _do_ like that name. I like it a lot, but it doesn't really fit. I'm back to square one honestly. I didn't plan on having a daughter."

"We didn't plan on having a baby period," Josh chuckled softly. "I get what you're saying though. Manson Matthews would've been a cool little dude."

"You get me," Maya mused. _Manson_ Matthews? It was classic. "We never talked about any girl names that _you_ like."

"I honestly don't even care what you name her," Josh expressed, exhaling a long breath. "It just means a lot to me that you'd give her my last name."

"You're her dad," Maya said at an instant. "I entertained the idea of Hart-Matthews in the beginning, but she's a Matthews through and through. Now what do you have in mind?"

"Bernice?"

"We are _not_ naming our daughter Bernice. Where did that even come from?"

"My grandma's name was Bernice."

"Was? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine. I loved her to death, but she was kind of a nut. Bernice is a little old fashioned now that I think about it."

"What else do you like?"

"Melissa?"

"Riley and I knew a Melissa in middle school. Everyone called her Missy. She was the biggest bi..."

"Did I say Melissa? I meant Kennedy."

"Melissa and Kennedy don't even sound alike, but I'll think about it. Kennedy Matthews doesn't seem _that_ bad."

"Elizabeth?"

"I know one too many girls named Elizabeth at school. It's almost as popular as Hannah."

"Alright, I have a good one," Josh snapped his fingers, recovering from his past rejections. "Aurora."

"Aurora?"

" _Yes_ Aurora."

"Like the Aurora Borealis?" Maya questioned skeptically. She was reminded of her childhood.

"Exactly like the Aurora Borealis. I remember you telling me about a storm. You were scared..."

"And my mom came into my room to comfort me. She ended up making it a game. We were gold miners in Alaska, and the lighting was the Northern Lights. You remembered."

"How could I forget? You spoke so fondly of that night _and_ your mom. I like Aurora. It's pretty, kind of like a princess name."

"It _is_ a princess name, Josh."

"But that's not why I suggested it. After hearing that story, Aurora makes me think about how easily you can turn the scariest circumstance into something beautiful with a little bit of love. That's exactly what this pregnancy has been for us. So how do you feel?"

"About you _or_ about the name?"

"I was talking about the name, but you're free to answer both."

"Well I love you _and_ baby Aurora. Always have, Matthews."

"Aurora Matthews?" Josh thought aloud trying to get a feel for it. It flowed. The name meant something for the both of them, just like the little life they helped create.

"Aurora Matthews," Maya said after him, placing a hand to her stomach.

Maybe things were going to be alright after all.

* * *

"How would you feel about going to a party tonight?" Josh asked, taking his eyes off of the brightened screen of his cellphone to look up at Maya. It was eleven at night, and they were sitting in the kitchen in front of bowls of cereal, scrolling aimlessly through their explore pages and timelines, when Josh received a cryptic text.

"A party?" Maya repeated. "Josh, I'm pregnant. I am literally the _last_ person anyone would want to be at their party."

"It's not _that_ kind of a party," Josh reassured her although he wasn't quite sure himself. "There might be a _little_ bit of alcohol, but I'm not drinking. I haven't seen my friends in a really long time. I want them to meet you."

"But it's late," Maya pouted, feeling so unlike her younger self. She could vividly remember sneaking into a college party at fourteen-years-old just to tell Josh about how she felt. "We'll be here for another three days, can't I meet them another time?"

"You can," Josh nodded. "But this would be an opportunity to meet everyone all at once and get it out of the way."

"You really wanna go to this party. Don't you, boing?"

"It's just been a while..."

"Then _go_!" Maya laughed.

"I don't want to leave you here by yourself," Josh began before she cut him off.

"I'm not alone," Maya shrugged, she was indifferent to the idea of him going to a party without him. She didn't care as long as he came home at the end of the day. "Morgan's in the living room watching something on TV. Your parents are sleeping upstairs. If I get too lonely, I'll go bother Feeny."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I can promise you that I will be perfectly fine."

Even though she played an important role in his life, she refused to control his actions. It was _his_ life. As long as he stayed true to the man his parents raised him to be, everything would be just fine.

* * *

"How does it feel?" Morgan questioned, her curiosity getting the best of her. Morgan and Maya sat on opposite ends of the couch, curled up next to a pillow of their choice and two plush throw blankets.

"How does what feel?" Maya asked, biting into a popcorn kernel. She wasn't quite sure what the other blonde was asking about. Maya felt a lot of things. Morgan needed to be more specific.

"Being pregnant," Morgan clarified as she dug her hand into the plastic bowl full of popcorn set in between them. She pulled out a handful of popcorn and placed all ten pieces in her lap. "How does it feel to be pregnant? I've always wondered."

"It's different," Maya tried to explain. She couldn't really put it into words, but she would try her best for the sake of the question. "I don't know. My body doesn't really feel like _my_ body anymore, but that's not a bad thing. I kinda feel like I have more of a purpose if that makes any sense."

"It does," Morgan sighed. She had always wanted to be a mother, but apparently that life wasn't meant for her. So she worked her ass off instead.

"Do you want kids someday?"

"I do," Morgan answered, looking down at her lap. Four more popcorn. She suddenly wanted to crush them all. "But I can't."

"You can't?"

"I'm infertile," Morgan said, her honesty surprising even herself. It wasn't something that was really out in the open. "Found out when me and my ex-fiance couldn't conceive. It's one of the reasons why we split."

Maya frowned. She hardly knew Morgan, but here they were, talking as if they had known each other forever. "Oh I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it," Morgan said quickly, trying to air out the gloominess that had fallen between the two. "He was a shitty person anyways. I'm happier now, and _maybe_ one day I'll try to adopt. Who knows."

"You're welcome to borrow my kid anytime," Maya offered sympathetically. She was half-joking, but Morgan was practically family now. "You might just be her favorite aunt."

"What about Riley?" Morgan teased, thinking about how close the blonde and the brunette were. Of course Riley would be Aurora's favorite aunt. It only made sense.

"Riley can be her favorite cousin," Maya laughed, shaking her head at how strange that sounded coming from her mouth. She was really having a baby with her best friend's uncle. How odd. After this light exchange, Morgan and Maya fell into a comfortable silence until Maya's phone started to go off. Maya leaned over her lap to get a better glance at her phone that was set atop the coffee table. She read them one by one: notification after notification after notification after notification. None of them were hers, so she didn't feel right looking at them.

"You gonna answer those?" Morgan asked, narrowing her eyes at the phone.

"They're notifications for Josh's instagram," Maya shrugged. He had logged into his account on her phone and asked her not to log out. She respected his privacy enough to stay off of his account. They didn't keep secrets from each other. "Not gonna read them."

"You never feel tempted to?"

"Sometimes, but I try not to look into any of it."

"Well can I? He's my little brother. I wanna snoop."

"Go ahead," Maya shrugged, picking up her phone from the table. She typed in her passcode and handed it to Morgan. "I don't really care."

"You really _are_ my new favorite sister-in-law," Morgan said as she began to lurk through his account. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh?"

"Yeah uh oh."

"What do you mean by _uh oh_ , Morgan? You can't just leave me hanging like that. What did you see?"

"It's nothing," Morgan said quickly, failing to cover her tracks. The older blonde grimaced. It was obvious that she saw something she wasn't supposed to.

"I'm pretty sure it's something."

"Nope. I am pretty sure that it isn't."

"Just give me my phone, Morgan," Maya demanded. She couldn't believe that she was arguing with a grown woman about a cellphone.

"You asked for it," Morgan frowned, handing the thin device back to the younger girl. Maya analyzed the content pulled up on her phone immediately.

"Holy Regina George," Maya said with her mouth left agape. The notifications were for pictures that Josh had been recently tagged in. They were all from a girl named Charlotte Stemmer. She was a _beautiful_ blonde girl with the most vibrant highlight she had ever seen. "Who is _that?"_

In the first photo set Josh was tagged in, they sat next to each other in a group picture in what seemed to be someone's garage. Josh held a red solo cup in his hands—so much for not drinking—and the blonde girl wore a shit eating grin on her face. The second photo was a candid shot of Josh talking animatedly to a young couple, and the third one made Maya sick. It was a picture of Josh and the girl, Charlotte, by themselves, and they looked so happy.

Maya was arguably _not_.

"Josh never told you about Charlotte?"

"This is the first I've ever heard of her."

"She was his first girlfriend," Morgan explained, adjusting herself on the couch to face the younger girl. "They were on-and-off throughout all of high school. She was a lot more serious about the relationship than he was. By a lot, I mean a lot."

"And?" Maya pressed, hoping for some peace of mind. So far she had none. This Charlotte girl was making her feel queasy.

"Eventually Josh realized that their relationship wasn't going to work long-term—like _she_ wanted—and he broke up with her," Morgan continued. "Josh told me that she didn't take the breakup very well. That's why I was surprised to see her posting pictures like that."

"Maybe she still loves him."

"That might be the case," Morgan agreed, pulling her blanket up to her neck. "It's impossible not to love that idiot, but it doesn't matter anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because he loves _you_."

* * *

Maya stepped outside moments later for a breath of fresh air. She wandered into the backyard and sighed. This was a place where she had so many fond memories. The handful of road trips she went on to Philadelphia really made her feel like a part time of the family.

She could vividly recall meeting the love of her life here—or so she hoped that's she could call him—with her arms full of uprooted pink peonies and her face smeared with dirt. That was nine-years-ago, and Maya couldn't believe that they had known each other for that long.

 _As soon as the lights were out for the night, seven-year-old Maya Hart snuck out of the room she shared with her best friend, Riley, and made her way downstairs. It was spring break, and instead of being left to wander all of New York City by herself during break, Cory and Topanga offered to take her on their trip to Philadelphia. Katy Hart agreed, rationalizing that her daughter would be better off with the all-American family instead of being alone while she pulled off long shifts at the diner. It was Maya's first trip out-of-state, and it was all so fascinating. Although Pennsylvania wasn't too far away from New York, it felt like an adventure. Every day she spent with the Matthews family was a new adventure._

 _Riley Matthews had been her best friend for a little over a year. They were the complete package deal. Wherever Riley went, Maya followed. And whenever you saw Maya, you could count on Riley not being too far behind. They were good together. It was almost as if they were meant to be sisters_

 _When they arrived at the elder Matthews' home earlier in the evening, Riley made a mad dash for the neighbor's backyard. Maya followed—of course—because someone had to protect the tiny brunette from herself. Riley was a klutz. The two girls were left in awe over what they saw: a pretty little spring garden far from their flowery yet chaotic fire escapes._

 _New York City was awesome. Both Riley and Maya couldn't have asked for a better place to call their home, but there was something about this little Philadelphia suburb that they loved so much. Amy and Alan's house was cute. It was huge compared to Maya's little apartment, and it was more homely than Riley's brownstone. Plus there was an actual yard to play in and a grumpy old neighbor who grew pretty flowers that made Riley feel like she was a fairy...and because Riley loved them so much, Maya promised that she would pick one or two._

 _So that's exactly what she did as soon as everyone fell asleep...except she didn't just pick two, she pulled out the entire bushel._

 _And everything would've been fine if it hadn't been for some strange little boy who hopped over the fence._

 _"I didn't know Feeny had a granddaughter," the boy mused, straightening his clothes from his brief drop. "Guess you learn something new everyday."_

 _"I'm not Mr. Feeny's granddaughter," Maya corrected the older boy, wiping away some of the dirt away from her chin self-consciously with the collar of her shirt. "My name is Maya. Maya Hart. And you are?"_

 _"Let's start over then," the boy proposed, extending one of his hands for her to shake before realizing that both of hers were occupied. "Hi Maya. I'm Josh. You gonna tell me what you're doing here or do you want me to wake up the beast?"_

 _"I could say the same to you, boing," Maya retorted, trying her best to think of an insult on the spot. These things usually came easy to her, but for some reason she couldn't think of anything. She wasn't quite sure where 'boing' came from, but it felt like more of a pet name than an insult. "What are you doing here?"_

 _"I asked you first," Josh said pointedly before giving in. "I live next door."_

 _"I'm visiting next door."_

 _"Oh, so you're that Mia? I'm Cory's little brother. Sorry we didn't get to meet earlier. I was staying at my friend's house a few blocks down, but then I decided to come home so I can surprise Riles first thing in the morning."_

 _"Maya," the blonde corrected for the final time. "M-a-y-a. Not Mia. And I knew Mr. Matthews had a little brother, but I didn't think that you were a kid."_

 _"I'm not a kid," Josh laughed. "I just turned ten. You gonna explain the flowers, Maya?"_

 _"I picked them for Riley."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because I can."_

 _"Yeah, well," Josh grimaced. "I think you picked one too many. Feeny is definitely gonna notice, and then chew me out in the morning. If you really wanna surprise Riles, just pick out a couple stems. I can help you replant the rest."_

 _"You think Mr. Feeny's gonna notice?"_

 _"Definitely. Lemme help you with that."_

"What are you doing out here?" Josh asked, breaking Maya away from her train of thought. She was surprised to see him here, standing on the opposite side of Feeny's fence instead of at his friend's little party with Charlotte. "It's like one in the morning."

"Morgan and I stayed up to watch some dumb cheerleader movie," Maya shrugged, crossing her arms. "I could say the same to you, boing. You're an adult now. You can get charged for trespassing on people's property. Shouldn't you be at that party? I thought you drove."

"I did drive," Josh answered. "But one of my friends got me to drink a little bit. My parents would kill me if I drove home drunk—even though I'm not—so I left my car and walked. It's really not that far."

"You couldn't have asked for a ride?"

"I mean I could've," Josh said. It was true. He could've asked for one of his sober friends to give him a lift on their way home. "But that would've taken too long. There was somewhere I needed to be."

"And that would be Mr. Feeny's backyard?"

"I meant with you, _genius_ ," Josh smirked, and for the first time since she saw those photos online, Maya felt at ease. "I've known almost _everyone_ at that party since we were kids. For a little while, it felt like high school all over again, and that's when it dawned on me that it still _was_ high school for a lot of those people. I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty fun being a teenager. I got a lot of cheap thrills out of it...me, my friends, my ex."

Maya frowned at the mention of his ex, _Charlotte_ , but allowed him to continue anyways.

"We had a lot of fun, but I can honestly say that I've outgrown them."

"What do you mean by that?" Maya asked.

"I moved to New York on my own," Josh began, citing things that she already knew. "I started college, worked my ass off, and now I have you."

"Me?"

"Yeah _you_. It's always been you, and that's something that I realized tonight."

"What happened?"

"I saw my ex at the party. She's still in love with me."

"And?"

"And I couldn't reciprocate. I don't think I ever did. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because of you _and_ this garden _and_ someday."

"Josh, I..."

"Who's out there?" Mr. Feeny bellowed, flickering on his deck light. "Matthews is that you?"

"Oh shit," Josh cursed, stepping over the fence.

Maya laughed. She had nothing to worry about.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This chapter was a lot. What did you like the most? Also I (sadly) cut out the part with Feeny in this chapter, but it's coming soon.

 **Chapter Preview:** Josh and Maya take a detour on the way home, Amy and Alan discuss a life-changing decision, and Maya discovers the true meaning of forgiveness.


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